Is Pulsar Light the Key to Solving the Dark Matter Mystery?

Posted on December 12, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

New research explores the possibility that dark matter is composed of theoretical particles called axions, and focuses on detecting them through additional light from pulsars. Although axions have not yet been confirmed in early observations, this research is critical to understanding dark matter.

A central question in the ongoing search for dark matter is: What is dark matter made of? One possible answer is that dark matter is made up of particles known as axions. A recent study by astrophysicists at the University of Amsterdam and Princeton University suggests that if dark matter is indeed made of axions, it could manifest itself in the form of subtle additional glow emanating from pulsating stars.

Dark matter may be the most sought-after building block in our universe. Remarkably, this mysterious form of matter, so far undetectable by physicists and astronomers, is thought to make up a huge portion of what exists on Earth. It is suspected that more than 85% of the matter in the universe is “dark”, and at the moment it is only recognized by the gravitational force it exerts on other celestial bodies. Naturally, scientists want to look directly detect its existence rather than just inferring it from gravitational effects. And of course they want to know what of course, solve two problems One thing is clear: dark matter cannot be the same kind of matter that makes up you and me. If so, dark matter would simply behave like ordinary matter. Dark matter will form star-like objects, will glow, and will no longer be “dark.” So scientists are looking for something new, a type of particle that no one has detected yet, and perhaps one that only interacts very weakly with the types of particles we know about.

One common hypothesis is that dark matter may be made of: Axion. This hypothetical type of particle was first introduced in the 1970s when he solved a problem that had nothing to do with dark matter. The separation of positive and negative charges inside a neutron, one of the building blocks of a normal atom, turns out to be unexpectedly small. Of course, scientists wanted to know why. It turns out that the presence of a previously undetected type of particle that interacts very weakly with components of neutrons can cause just such an effect. Frank Wilczek, who later won the Nobel Prize, came up with the name for this new particle. Axion – as well as similar to another particle name such as protons, neutrons, and electrons. photon, but it’s also inspired by the laundry detergent of the same name. Axion existed to solve problems. In fact, it might clean up the two even if it’s not detected. Several theories about elementary particles, including string theory, one of the leading candidate theories for unifying all the forces in nature, seem to predict the possibility of axion-like particles.

Fortunately, there appears to be a way out of this conundrum for axions. If the theory predicting axions is correct, not only would axions be expected to be produced in large quantities in the universe, but some axions could also be converted to light in the presence of strong electromagnetic fields. If there is light, we can see. Could this be the key to detecting axions and, by extension, dark matter? To answer this question, scientists first had to ask themselves where in the universe the strongest known electric and magnetic fields occur. The answer is known in the region around rotating neutron stars. pulsar. These pulsars (short for “pulsating stars”) are dense objects with a mass about the same as the Sun, but a radius about 100,000 times smaller, or only about 10 km. Because pulsars are so small, they rotate at enormous frequencies and emit bright, narrow beams of radio radiation along their axis of rotation. Just like a lighthouse pulsarThe beam can sweep across the Earth, making it easy to observe the pulsating star. But the pulsar’s massive rotation does more than that. it is, neutron star It turns into a very powerful electromagnet. That could mean Pulsar is a highly efficient axion factory. The average pulsar can produce 50 orders of magnitude axions per second. Because of the strong electromagnetic fields surrounding pulsars, some of these axions can be converted into observable light.

As always in science, carrying out such observations in practice is, of course, not so easy. The light emitted by axions (which can be detected in the form of radio waves) is only a fraction of the total light these bright cosmic lighthouses send back to us. Much less can we quantify the difference and turn it into a measurement of the amount of dark matter. This is exactly what a team of physicists and astronomers are currently doing. Through a collaboration between the Netherlands, Portugal, and the United States, the research team has uncovered details about how axions are created, how axions escape the neutron star’s gravity, and…

First observational tests were performed on the theory and simulation results…referencesystem, simulate a subtle glow

Next, first observational tests were performed on the theory and simulation results…referencesystem to show that it is very unlikely that axions are a component of…s

Note: The original content contained HTML tags, it’s been removed in the rewrite.

Source: scitechdaily.com

COVID-19 can lie dormant in the lungs for as long as 18 months

Posted on December 12, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

SARS-CoV-2 Virus Persistence Study

The SARS-CoV-2 Virus Persistence Study

The SARS-CoV-2 virus can remain in the lungs for up to 18 months after infection, a study has found, challenging the notion that it is undetectable after initial recovery. This persistence is associated with a failure of the innate immune system. This study confirms the existence of “viral reservoirs” similar to those found in HIV and highlights the role of NK cells in controlling these reservoirs. This discovery is extremely important for understanding long-term COVID-19 infections and the mechanisms of viral persistence.

Groundbreaking research reveals:

SARS-CoV-2 Due to malfunctioning of the innate immune system, it can remain in the lungs for months, undetected, leading to long-term COVID-19 infections. 1 to 2 weeks after being infected with the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) virus It is generally undetectable in the upper respiratory tract. But does that mean it’s not present in the body? To find out, a team at the Institut Pasteur, which specializes in HIV, teamed up with France’s public research institute, the Commission for Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy (CEA), to study lung cells in animal models. It was conducted. This finding not only shows that SARS-CoV-2 can be detected in the lungs of certain individuals for up to 18 months after infection, but also that its persistence is associated with a failure of innate immunity, the first line of defense against the pathogen. It also shows that this is the case. ).This study was published in the journal innate immunology.

Discovery of virus carriers in the new coronavirus infection (COVID-19)

After causing an infection, some viruses remain in the body in a discreet and undetectable form. They remain in what is known as the “viral reservoir.” This is the case with HIV, which is latent in certain immune cells and can reactivate at any time. The same may be the case with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. COVID-19 (new coronavirus infection). At least, this is the hypothesis proposed in 2021 by a team of scientists at the Pasteur Institute, and now confirmed in a preclinical model in non-human primates.

“We observed that inflammation persisted for a long time in primates infected with SARS-CoV-2. We therefore thought that the presence of the virus in the body could be the cause,” said Pass. explains Michaela Müller Tortwin, head of the HIV, Inflammation and Persistence Unit at the Toole Institute. This study showed that the SARS-CoV-2 virus is transmitted from one macrophage to another through bridge-like cell processes, allowing it to spread. The cell nucleus is highlighted in pink and the viral protein NSP3 is highlighted in green. Credit: © Marie Lazzerini, Nicolas Huot, Institut Pasteur research result To study the persistence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, scientists at the Institut Pasteur collaborated with CEA’s IDMIT (Infectious Disease Models for Innovative Therapies) Center to study the persistence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus from animal models infected with the virus. The collected biological samples were analyzed. Early results from the study show that the virus was detected in some people’s lungs 6 to 18 months after infection, even though it was not detected in their upper respiratory tract or blood. Another finding was that the amount of residual virus in the lungs was lower with the Omicron strain than with the original SARS-CoV-2 strain. “We were really surprised that we found the virus in specific immune cells (alveolar macrophages) after such a long period of time, when routine PCR testing was negative,” said the study’s lead author. Yes, says Nicolas Huot, a researcher in HIV, inflammation and inflammation at the Institut Pasteur. Persistence unit.

“Furthermore, we were able to culture these viruses and use the tools we developed to study HIV to observe that the viruses were still able to replicate.” To understand the role of innate immunity in controlling these viral reservoirs, scientists next turned to NK (natural killer) cells. “The innate immune cellular response, the body’s first line of defense, has so far been little studied in the context of SARS-CoV-2 infection,” says Michaela Müller-Turtwin. “However, it has long been known that NK cells play an important role in controlling viral infections.” The study found that in some animals, macrophages infected with SARS-CoV-2 were destroyed by NK cells. In other animals, NK cells have been shown to adapt to infection and destroy resistant cells (known as adaptive NK cells). For macrophages. Therefore, this study sheds light on a possible mechanism explaining the existence of ‘viral reservoirs’. People who had little or no virus over time had adaptive NK cell production, whereas people with higher levels of virus not only had no adaptive NK cells, but only cell activation. NK cell activity also decreases. Therefore, innate immunity appears to play a role in controlling persistent SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Future research directions

“We will undertake a study of a cohort infected with SARS-CoV-2 early in the pandemic to investigate whether the identified viral reservoirs and mechanisms are associated with long-lasting COVID-19 cases. “However, the results here already represent an important step in understanding the nature of the virus reservoir and the mechanisms regulating virus survival,” says Michaela Müller-Turtwin.

Reference:

“SARS-CoV-2 virus persistence in lung alveolar macrophages is controlled by IFN-γ and NK cells”, Nicolas Huot, Cyril Planchais, Pierre Rosenbaum, Vanessa Contreras, Beatrice Jacquelin, Caroline Petitdemange, By Marie Lazzerini, Emma Beaumont, Aurelio Horta-Rezendis, Felix A. Rey, R. Keith Reeves, Roger Le Grand, Hugo Mouquet, Michaela Müller-Tourtuin, November 2, 2023. innate immunology.

This research was primarily funded by families of major donors as part of the Coronavirus Research Program Call for Projects.

Source: scitechdaily.com

Study uncovers long-term health hazards

Posted on December 12, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

New research reveals significant metabolic and health risks associated with long-term coconut oil supplementation, including hormonal changes, weight gain, and inflammation. Lead researcher Marcio Alberto Torsoni advises against consuming coconut oil blindly and recommends a moderate amount according to dietary guidelines.

Scientists at the State University of Campinas observed changes in eating patterns, weight gain, signs of anxiety, and increased inflammation in the brain, adipose tissue, and liver in mice.

Article published in Functional food journal We report on a research study in which oral administration of extra virgin coconut oil supplements to mice showed significant changes in eating habits, weight gain, anxiety levels, and inflammation in the central nervous system, adipose tissue, and liver.

Researchers also discovered that leptin, an important metabolic hormone, insulin The ability to activate cellular mechanisms involved in satiety and blood sugar control may be impaired, and biochemical mechanisms involved in fat synthesis may be stimulated.

Researcher insights

Marcio Alberto Torsoni, a researcher at the Institute of Metabolic Disorders, said: “The results of this study suggest that although the process occurs slowly and quietly, long-term coconut oil supplementation contributes to the development of obesity and related comorbidities. “This suggests that it may cause significant metabolic changes.” LabDiMe) is conducted at the Faculty of Applied Sciences of the State University of Campinas (FCA-UNICAMP), São Paulo State, Brazil. He holds a PhD in Functional and Molecular Biology and completed postdoctoral studies at the UNICAMP Faculty of Medicine and the University of Michigan, USA.

LabDiMe is part of the Obesity and Comorbidity Research Center (OCRC), one of FAPESP’s Research, Innovation, and Dissemination Centers (RIDCs), and the Center for Metabolic Programming and Perinatal Management (MPPM), which receives funding from the U.S. We are collaborating with National Institutes of Health (NIH (National Institutes of Health).

Animal fat and coconut oil risks

Excessive intake of animal fats is associated with an increased risk of: cardiovascular disease, as well as obesity and diabetes. One of the components of this diet is cholesterol, but this type of fat also contains saturated fatty acids, which can activate inflammatory processes through Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR-4) and cause disease. there is.

Saturated fatty acids are also available from other sources, such as plants. For example, it makes up 90% of the fat in coconut oil. Although short-chain fatty acids make up the majority and are beneficial as they reduce inflammation, the saturated fatty acids found in coconut oil are sufficient to activate inflammatory pathways and damage many different types of cells.

“Consumption of coconut oil, either as part of the regular diet or as a dietary supplement, has increased significantly in the population,” Torsoni says. The problem is that most of the time it is consumed without the guidance of a nutritionist who can adjust the daily intake according to the individual’s needs.

experimental model

To find out whether daily consumption of coconut oil over long periods of time could cause health problems, the research group used an animal model involving healthy mice that were given coconut oil daily for eight weeks. did. This amount of coconut oil is equivalent to about 1 soup spoon (13g) of calories per day, or 5% of the calories from saturated fat in the diet of an adult of appropriate weight for his or her age and height.

Torsoni said coconut oil should be used in small amounts as part of seasonings and sauces, preferably with fresh or minimally processed vegetables. This is also the advice of the Ministry of Health’s Dietary Guidelines for Brazilian Citizens, which also recommends “an appropriate and healthy diet that combines quantity and quality and meets the needs of variety, balance, moderation and enjoyment.” I am.

“Coconut oil is not recommended as a supplement to treat disease or restore health,” Torsoni says.

Reference: “CO 2 supplementation induces lipogenesis in adipose tissue, leptin and insulin resistance in healthy Swiss mice” Alana Carolina Costa Veras, Larissa da Silva Bruzasco, Ana Beatriz Profiro Lopes, Beatriz da Silva Franco, Written by Alessandro Spencer de Souza Holanda, Andrea Maculano Estevez, Marcian Milanski, Adriana Souza Torsoni, Leticia Martins Ignacio-Sousa, Marcio Alberto Torsoni, June 4, 2023. Functional food journal.
DOI: 10.1016/j.jff.2023.105600

This study was funded by the São Paulo Research Foundation.

Source: scitechdaily.com

Miniature VR goggles revolutionizing brain research

Posted on December 12, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

This diagram shows a VR setup with an “overhead threat” projected into the top field of view.Credit: Dom Pinke/Northwestern University
For the first time, the goggles allow researchers to study responses to overhead threats. northwestern university
Researchers have developed a new virtual reality (VR) goggle for mice. These tiny goggles aren’t just cute, they offer a more immersive experience for lab mice. By more faithfully simulating natural environments, researchers can more accurately and precisely study the neural circuits underlying behavior. A leap forward in VR goggles The new goggles represent a breakthrough compared to current state-of-the-art systems that simply surround a mouse with a computer or projection screen. Current systems allow the mouse to see the laboratory environment peeking out from behind the screen, but the flat nature of the screen prevents it from conveying three-dimensional (3D) depth. Another drawback was that the researchers couldn’t easily attach a screen above the mice’s heads to simulate overhead threats, such as looming birds of prey. New VR goggles avoid all of these problems. And as VR grows in popularity, the goggles could also help researchers gain new insights into how the human brain adapts and responds to repeated VR exposure. . This area is currently poorly understood. The study was published in the journal Dec. 8. neuron. This is the first time researchers have used a VR system to simulate overhead threats. A view through new miniature VR goggles.Credit: Dom Pinke/Northwestern University “For the past 15 years, we’ve been using VR systems on mice,” said Daniel Dombeck of Northwestern University, lead author of the study. “Traditionally, labs have used large computers and projection screens to surround the animals. For humans, this is like watching TV in the living room. You can still see the couch and walls. You There are cues around it that let you know you’re not in the scene. Next, consider wearing VR goggles, like the Oculus Rift, that occupy your entire field of vision, except the projected scene. They can’t see anything, and each eye projects a different scene to create depth information, which the rats lacked.” Dombeck is a professor of neurobiology in Northwestern University’s Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences. His laboratory is a leader in the development of his VR-based systems and high-resolution laser-based imaging systems for animal research. The value of VR Although researchers can observe animals in nature, it is extremely difficult to image patterns of brain activity in real time while animals interact with the real world. To overcome this challenge, the researchers integrated his VR into a laboratory setting. In these experimental settings, animals use a treadmill to move through a scene, such as a virtual maze, projected onto a screen around them. By keeping the mouse in place on a treadmill, rather than running it through a natural environment or a physical maze, neurobiologists can use tools to The brain can be observed and mapped. Ultimately, this will help researchers understand the general principles of how neural circuits activated during different behaviors encode information. “VR essentially recreates a real-life environment,” Dombeck says. “While we’ve had a lot of success with this VR system, the animals may not be as immersed as they would be in a real environment. Force the mouse to pay attention to the screen and ignore the surrounding lab.” That alone requires a lot of training.” Introduction to iMRSIV Recent advances in hardware miniaturization led Dombeck and his team to wonder if they could develop VR goggles that more closely replicate real-world environments. We created compact goggles using custom-designed lenses and a small organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display. The system, called Miniature Rodent Stereo Illumination VR (iMRSIV), consists of two lenses and two screens, one on each side of the head, that illuminate each eye individually for 3D vision. This provides each eye with a 180-degree field of view that fully immerses the mouse and excludes the surrounding environment. An artist’s interpretation of a cartoon of a mouse wearing VR goggles. Credit: @rita
Unlike VR goggles for humans, the iMRSIV (pronounced “immersive”) system does not wrap around the mouse’s head. Instead, the goggles are attached to experimental equipment and sit snugly right in front of the mouse’s face. Since the mouse runs in place on the treadmill, the goggles still cover the mouse’s field of view.
“We designed and built a custom holder for the goggles,” said John Issa, a postdoctoral fellow in Dombeck’s lab and co-first author of the study. “The entire optical display, the screen and lens, goes all the way around the mouse.” Enhance learning and engagement By mapping the brains of mice, Dombeck and his team found that the brains of mice wearing goggles activated in a manner very similar to that of freely moving animals. And in a side-by-side comparison, the researchers found that mice with goggles were able to immerse themselves in the scene much faster than mice with traditional VR systems. “We went through the same kind of training paradigm that we’ve done in the past, but the mice with the goggles learned faster,” Dombeck said. “After the first session they were already able to complete the task. They knew where to run and were looking for the right place to get the reward. We think they may not actually need as much training because they can interact with their environment in such a way.” Simulating overhead threats for the first time Next, the researchers used goggles to simulate overhead threats. This was not possible with the current system. Since the hardware for the imaging technology is already on top of the mouse, there is no place to attach a computer screen. But the skies above rats are often where animals are searching for important, sometimes life-or-death information. “The upper part of the visual field in mice is very sensitive to detecting predators from above, like in birds,” said co-first author Dom Pinke, a research specialist in Dombeck’s lab. . “It’s not a learned behavior. It’s an imprinted behavior. It’s hardwired into the mouse’s brain.” To create the looming threat, the researchers projected a dark, expanding disk onto the top of the goggles and above the mouse’s field of view. In experiments, mice ran faster and froze up when they noticed the disc. Both behaviors are common responses to overhead threats. Researchers were able to record neural activity to study these responses in detail. “In the future, we would like to investigate situations in which rats are predators rather than prey,” Issa said. “For example, we can observe brain activity while chasing a fly. This activity involves a lot of depth perception and distance estimation. Those are things we can start to capture. is.” Accessibility in neurobiological research Dombeck hopes the goggles will not only open the door to further research, but also to new researchers. He believes the goggles could make neurobiology research more accessible because they are relatively inexpensive and require less intensive laboratory preparation. “Traditional VR systems are very complex,” Dombeck says. “It’s expensive and it’s big. You need a large lab with plenty of space. Additionally, the long time it takes to train a mouse to perform a task limits the number of experiments you can perform. Although we are still working on improvements, our goggles are small, relatively inexpensive, and also very easy to use. This could make VR technology available to other labs. There is a gender.” References: “Full-field virtual reality goggles for mice” by Domonkos Pinke, John B. Issa, Gabriel A. Dara, Gergely Dobos, Daniel A. Dombeck, December 8, 2023. neuron.DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.11.019 This research “Full-field virtual reality goggles for mice” National Institutes of Health (Award Number R01-MH101297), the National Science Foundation (Award Number ECCS-1835389), the Hartwell Foundation, and the Brain and Behavioral Research Foundation. (function(d, s, id){
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Source: scitechdaily.com

T cells: the potential secret weapon against the latest coronavirus ‘variants of concern’ amid Pyrrha panic

Posted on December 12, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

A new SARS-CoV-2 variant, Pirora (BA.2.86), has been detected worldwide and is causing concern due to its high mutation rate

Researchers at the La Jolla Institute for Immunology are using immune epitope databases to predict T-cell responses to Pirora, suggesting that past exposure to existing vaccines and variants like Omicron remains important and may have a preventive effect. Although the results are promising, they are still predictive and require further experimental validation. (Credit: SciTechDaily.com)

Utilization of bioinformatics

LJI scientists are using bioinformatics to predict how T cells will adapt to fight the highly mutated Pirora mutant. In August, researchers discovered a new SARS-CoV-2 ‘Variants of concern’ in patients in Israel and Denmark. Since then, this variant has been called BA.2.86 or “Pirola” and has spread all over the world. Pirola’s mutant species is highly mutated, so caution is advised. In fact, Pirora has mutated similarly to the Omicron variant when compared to the earlier SARS-CoV-2 variants that were included in the first vaccinations. As Pyrolla spreads, researchers at La Jolla Immunology Institute (LJI) COVID-19 (new coronavirus infection) Vaccines (or previous SARS-CoV-2 infection) can still protect people from severe disease.

“The concern is that virus With so many mutations, T-cell immunity will ‘escape’,” says LJI Professor Alessandro Sette, Ph.D. in Biological Sciences. New research is currently being conducted Cell hosts and microorganisms This suggests that T cells can accurately detect mutations in pyrola and find their targets.

“Our analysis suggests there is positive news,” says LJI research assistant professor Dr. Alba Grifoni. “It appears that past exposure to Omicron, or vaccination with the new bivalent vaccine, may provide a person with T cells that can ‘catch up’ and generate a specific response to fight Pyrrha. ” LJI Professor Alessandro Sette, Doctor of Biological Sciences
(Credit: La Jolla Institute of Immunology)

Next step

Grifoni emphasizes that these findings are predictive and not observations based on actual pylora infections. Still, she thinks it’s important to see how these “in silico” (in silico) predictions are reflected in recent real-world research. “Although we still need experimental validation, we have established several collaborations around the world and are talking about this issue as we study it,” says Grifoni. Sette added that even with the Pirora variant, many people are still vulnerable to SARS-COV-2 infection. “That’s why people should still get vaccinated, especially the latest vaccines.” The researchers are currently collecting experimental data to learn more about T cell responses to the mutant strains and further strengthen their predictive tools. Griffoni is particularly interested in understanding exactly how people who have received a bivalent vaccine booster or a “breakthrough” infection will mount a T-cell response against future variants.

Reference:

“Existing SARS-2-specific T cells are predicted to cross-recognize BA.2.86,” Alessandro Sette, John Sidney, and Alba Grifoni, December 8, 2023. Cell hosts and microorganisms.DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2023.11.010 The study, “Existing SARS-2-specific T cells are predicted to mutually recognize BA.2.86,” also includes study author John Sidney. This research was supported by: National Institutes of HealthNational Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (Contract No. 75N93021C00016 and Contract No. 75N93019C00001)

Source: scitechdaily.com

A guide to drama-free family vacations using game theory

Posted on December 11, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

As the holidays approach, we all look forward to spending time with those closest to us. Gathering in the warmth of the hearth, we are so happy to see each other, that is, until our throats touch. How can you encourage your family members to behave in ways that reflect how much they truly love each other deep down? Let’s turn to game theory, the science of strategic thinking.

The mathematics of game theory has been applied to a wide range of scenarios, from negotiations over sports broadcast rights to improving organ donation rates. The famous prisoner’s dilemma problem has even been used in the search for new life forms in the universe. Game theory is about considering how others will react and making decisions based on that knowledge.

When it comes to hosting holiday gatherings, game theorists recommend using Bolda counts to determine the host. Each person ranks their preference for hosting and the host with the lowest score wins. This method is used in national elections and international issues such as the Eurovision Song Contest.

When it comes to deciding who brings what to the holiday feast, game theorists suggest using incentives to encourage balanced contributions. For example, give a prize to the cook who completely runs out of food, or make the guest with the most leftovers the next host.

To minimize arguments over the last portions of food, game theorists recommend using an “I Cut, You Pick” method, where one person slices and the other chooses. This method can also be used to peacefully allocate items during a separation, such as furniture or dishware.

When it comes to dealing with unruly children or lazy family members, game theory suggests using experiential expectations. Show them how others are behaving and encourage them to follow suit. This approach can also be applied to negotiating activities, such as playing a game or getting dressed.

Finally, if all else fails, game theory’s ultimatum game can be used to encourage fair behavior. By creating an environment where fairness is valued and unfair behavior has consequences, family members can be motivated to act in a way that benefits everyone.

In conclusion, game theory can provide valuable insights into managing family dynamics during the holidays. By using strategic thinking and understanding the motivations of those around us, we can create a harmonious and enjoyable holiday experience for all.

Source: www.newscientist.com

The Location of the Coldest Place on Earth

Posted on December 11, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

These places are less popular as holiday hotspots, but are known for their extreme cold. If you’re planning a visit, bring a blanket and be prepared to curl up. A record remains for the lowest temperature ever recorded.

East Antarctic Plateau (-94°C) The East Antarctic Plateau claims the title of the coldest place on Earth. Satellite data collected between 2004 and 2016 across Dome Argus and Dome Fuji, an area roughly the size of Australia, suggests temperatures could be around -94C. If these telemetry measurements are correct, this would be the coldest temperature on Earth, the researchers believe. Surface temperature could drop to -98 degrees Celsius.
Vostok Station, Antarctica (-89.2°C) The Vostok Research Station is located in the Antarctic region, an area with the lowest surface temperatures in the Southern Hemisphere, and was established by the Soviet Union in 1957. Click here for thermometer The minimum temperature reached -89.2℃ July 1983 recorded the lowest temperature ever directly recorded. It is also one of the driest places on earth, with an annual rainfall of around 20 millimeters, all of which is snow.
Amundsen-Scott Station, Antarctica (-82.8°C) Amundsen-Scott Station, located in Antarctica, was built in 1956 and receives six months of sunlight in the summer and six months of complete darkness in the winter. The highest temperature ever recorded in this part of the East Antarctic Plateau was Christmas Day 2011, when the thermometer soared to a positive and mild -12.3°C. The coldest on record was June 1982 -82.8℃.
Denali, Alaska, USA (-73°C) Denali, formerly known as Mount McKinley, is North America’s highest mountain, rising more than 6,000 meters above sea level. The average temperature is around -10 degrees Celsius, and only half of those who attempt to climb this mountain actually reach the top. Between 1950 and 1969, temperatures at weather stations here reached around -73°C, but wind chills can reach -83.4°C.
Klink Station, Greenland (-69.6°C) The Klink weather station holds the record for the coldest place in the Arctic Circle. Located in central Greenland, it beat the record held by Oymyakon in December 1991 (see below) by about two degrees. Reach -69.6℃. Despite these low temperatures, much of Greenland’s ice is melting rapidly.
Oymyakon, Siberia, Russia (-67.7°C) Oymyakon is coldest permanent residence on earth And it is found in the cold Arctic. In 1933, the lowest temperature recorded was -67.7℃. If the population is less than 500, schools will only close if the average winter temperature falls below -55 degrees Celsius.
Northern Ice, Greenland (-66.1°C) The research station was established during the British expedition to North Greenland in the 1950s, which set record low temperatures in North America at the time. In 1954, the temperature dropped to -66.1℃.
Yakutsk, Siberia, Russia (-64.4°C) Yakutsk is one of the coldest cities on earth and is located on permafrost. The region has some short but warm summers, with temperatures reaching a maximum of 38.4°C in 2011, but also long and very cold winters. In 1891, the temperature dropped to -64.4°C. It is located on the Lena River, and during the winter it is often cold enough that the river freezes hard enough to be used as a road.
Snug, Yukon Territory, Canada (-62.8°C) In 1947, the small village of Snug in Canada’s northwestern Yukon Territory was home to about 10 First Nations people. The village was used as an emergency landing site during World War II and then as a weather observatory. The lowest temperature recorded was -62.8℃. researchers are urging the equipment to be retested to ensure it is working properly.
Prospect Creek, Alaska, USA (-62.1°C) Built in the late 1970s as a settlement for workers on the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System, the village is now largely deserted. It was January 1971 and the weather was extremely cold. -62.1℃ was recorded And this settlement still claims some of the coldest winter temperatures in the United States.

Source: www.newscientist.com

Neanderthals were prolific in exploiting straight-tusked elephants, say archaeologists

Posted on December 11, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

Archaeologists from MONREPOS, the Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, and the University of Leiden recently discovered that straight-tusked elephants were hunted some 125,000 years ago (Paleoloxodon Antique) was the largest land mammal of the Pleistocene and was part of the behavioral repertoire of Neanderthals for dozens of generations. This knowledge is based on data from only one of his locations, a northern European lakeside. In a new paper, the researchers present data from two other contemporary sites on the Nordic plains, where they demonstrate that elephant exploitation was a widespread phenomenon. The vast amounts of food produced by slaughter operations aimed at large-scale exploitation of carcasses suggest that Neanderthals were somehow preserving food or, at least temporarily, working in larger groups than is generally acknowledged. This suggests that it was active.

Reconstructed living appearance of a straight-tusked elephant (Paleoloxodon Antique) Side view (top) and front view (bottom) based on remains excavated from the Neumark Nord 1 site in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Image credit: Su Shuyu.

“125,000 years ago, Neanderthals hunted and slaughtered straight-tusked elephants, the largest land mammals of the Pleistocene, in the lake landscapes of the Nordic plains,” said lead author Sabine Gaudzinski-Windho. Professor Iser and colleagues said.

“The data from this site is so far unique in the archaeological record, with evidence highlighting adult males and their widespread use.”

“Given its relevance to our knowledge of the Neanderthal niche, we wonder if Neumark Nord subsistence practices were more than just a local phenomenon, and perhaps determined by local features. I investigated.”

In the new study, scientists analyzed the remains of straight-tusked elephants from two other archaeological sites on the Nordic plains, Grebern and Taubach.

They identified slaughter patterns in both populations similar to the Neumark Nord site.

“The results of the examination of the Greyburn and Taubach bones indicate that the hunting of these elephants by Neanderthals was not an isolated phenomenon and must have been a more regular activity,” Gaudzinski-Windho said. Professor Iser said.

Reconstruction of Lake Schöningen shore when humans discovered the carcass of a straight-legged elephant. Image credit: Benoit Clarys.

Straight-tusked elephants were the largest land mammals of the Pleistocene and lived in Europe and western Asia from 800,000 to 100,000 years ago.

These animals had very broad heads and very long tusks, making them approximately three times larger than modern Asian elephants, twice as large as African elephants, and much larger than woolly mammoths.

Maximum shoulder height is estimated to be 3–4.2 m (10–14 ft) for females and males, respectively, and weight between 4.5 and 13 tons.

“The meat and fat provided by the adult body are Paleoloxodon Antique “The bull would have been enough to meet the daily caloric intake of at least 2,500 adult Neanderthals,” said Professor Gaudzinski-Windhauser.

“This is an important number because it provides us with new insights into Neanderthal behavior.”

“For example, previous research generally assumed that Neanderthals lived in groups of 20 or fewer.”

“However, the information we currently have about the systematic exploitation of straight-breasted elephants suggests that Neanderthals may have gathered, at least temporarily, in larger groups, or that they had developed techniques that allowed them to preserve and store large amounts of food. This suggests that he must have done both.”

“Follow-up projects will explore how Neanderthals hunted these giant elephants and how their hunting activities affected these and other prey animals and their environments. I would like to learn more about this.”

of the team paper Published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

_____

Sabine Gaudzinski-Windhauser other. 2023. Extensive evidence of Neanderthal exploitation of elephants during the last interglacial period on the Nordic plains. PNAS 120 (50): e2309427120; doi: 10.1073/pnas.2309427120

Source: www.sci.news

Study finds honeyguide birds have the ability to recognize distinct audio signals to assist humans in locating beehives

Posted on December 11, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

Greater Honey Guide (indicator indicator)It is a type of African bird. well known To attract other species to the hive. They have even been known to collaborate with ratels, but their closest and most successful collaborators are humans. Several indigenous groups in Africa work with these birds throughout their range. Observing these interactions in Tanzania and Mozambique, scientists showed that honey guides were more responsive to the specific calls of their local honey-hunting partners compared to the calls of honey hunters in other regions. Ta. Honey guides therefore appear to learn the calls of their local partners, and honey hunters maintain these successful calls for generations.

Spottiswood and Wood experimentally showed that honeyguides in Tanzania and Mozambique distinguish between the calls of honeyhunters and are more likely to respond to local calls than to foreign calls. Image credit: Brian Wood.

The animal kingdom is full of interactions between species, but systems in which humans can successfully cooperate with wild animals are rare.

One such relationship involves the greater honeyguide, a small African bird known for guiding humans to wild bee hives.

Humans open the hive to collect honey, and bees eat the exposed beeswax.

Human honey hunters in different parts of Africa may use specialized and culturally distinct calls to signal their search for a honey guide partner and to maintain cooperation while following guided birds. It happens often.

For example, the honey hunters of the Yao culture group in northern Mozambique use a loud trill followed by a grunt (“brrr-hm”).

In contrast, the Honey Hunters of the Hadza cultural group of northern Tanzania use melodic flutes.

These successful calls have been maintained in these groups for generations.

In a series of field experiments across these disciplines, Dr. Claire Spottiswood of the University of Cambridge and the University of Cape Town, and Dr. Brian Wood of the University of California, Los Angeles and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, found that the ecology of honeyguides is We investigated whether it is good or not. They tend to respond more to the signals of their local human culture than to signals from another culture or any human sounds.

The authors found that honeyguides in the Yao region were more than three times more likely to initiate an induced response to honeyguides. Yao’s unique cry than Hadza’s whistle.

Conversely, honey guides in the Hadza region were more than three times more likely to respond to Hadza whistles than to Yao bloom sounds.

“It’s such a privilege to witness the collaboration between people and honeyguides, especially the birds that come looking for us,” Dr Spottiswoode said.

“Their calls sound exactly like a conversation between a bird and a bee as they travel together towards the beehive.”

According to the authors, the geographic variation and coordination between signals and responses observed in this behavioral system suggests that cultural coevolution has occurred between honeyguides and humans.

“What’s remarkable about the relationship between honey guides and humans is that interactions with humans involve free-living wild animals that have probably evolved through hundreds of thousands of years of natural selection,” Dr. Spottiswood said.

“Through learning, this ancient and evolved behavior was refined to fit local cultural traditions, or different human calls.”

“Our research demonstrates the ability of this bird to learn unique vocal signals traditionally used by various honey-hunting communities, opening up possibilities for mutually beneficial cooperation with people.” ,” Dr. Wood said.

Regarding this research, paper in a diary science.

_____

Claire N. Spottiswood and Brian M. Wood. 2023. Culturally determined interspecies communication between humans and honey guides. science 382 (6675): 1155-1158; doi: 10.1126/science.adh4129

Source: www.sci.news

Scientists at Stanford University identify shared genetic factor that offers protection against Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases

Posted on December 11, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

Stanford Medicine and international collaborators have discovered that around 20% of individuals carry genetic mutations that reduce their risk of Alzheimer’s disease or Parkinson’s disease by 10% or more. This particular variant, known as DR4, has the potential to enhance future vaccines for these neurodegenerative diseases. In addition, the study found a potential link between the tau protein and both diseases, providing new possibilities for targeted therapies and vaccines.

The large-scale analysis included medical and genetic information from a wide range of individuals across different continents. This data analysis revealed that certain gene variants related to immune function are associated with a lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. Approximately one in five people possess a specific genetic mutation that provides resistance to both diseases.

The research, led by Stanford Medicine, indicates that individuals with this protective genetic mutation may be less likely to benefit from future vaccines aimed at slowing or stopping the progression of these common neurodegenerative diseases. Results from the analysis of medical and genetic data from hundreds of thousands of people from diverse backgrounds confirmed that carrying the DR4 allele increased the average chance of developing Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s disease by more than 10%. New evidence has also surfaced suggesting that the tau protein, which is known for aggregating in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients, may also play a role in the development of Parkinson’s disease.

The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, was a collaboration between researchers at Stanford Medicine and international partners. The researchers involved in this study were Emmanuel Mignot, MD, Michael Gracius, MD, Iqbal Farooq, and Asad Jamal from Stanford Medicine, as well as Dr. Jean-Charles Lambert from Inserm, University of Lille, France. The lead author was Yan Le Nguyen, Ph.D., and other contributors included Dr. Guo Luo, Dr. Aditya Ambati, and Dr. Vincent Damot.

Further findings from the study showed that individuals with the DR4 allele were more likely to develop neurofibrillary tangles, characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease, in their brains. The study also suggests that tau, a protein central to Alzheimer’s disease, may have an unknown role in Parkinson’s disease.

DR4 is a particular allele of the DRB1 gene, which is a part of the human lymphocyte antigen complex. This complex is crucial in allowing the immune system to recognize the internal contents of cells. One of the significant findings of this study was that the specific peptide fragment that DR4 recognizes and presents is a chemically modified segment of the tau protein, which plays a role in both diseases. The study suggests that the DR4 allele could be used to create a vaccine targeting this modified peptide as a potential way to interfere with tau aggregation and the development of these neurodegenerative diseases. There may be potential to delay or slow the progression of the diseases in individuals who carry the protective variants of DR4.

The study also noted that the effectiveness of the vaccine may depend on the subtype of DR4 a person carries, which varies among different ethnic groups. For example, one subtype of DR4 that is more common among East Asians may be less protective against neurodegenerative diseases.

Source: scitechdaily.com

Three new young stars found in the central region of the Milky Way galaxy by astronomers

Posted on December 11, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

According to some researchers, the oldest of these stars is 1.5 billion years old, while the youngest is only 100 million years old. paper Published in Astrophysics Journal Letter.

This infrared image from Hubble shows the Milky Way Core Cluster, the densest and most massive star cluster in our galaxy. Image credit: NASA / ESA / Hubble Heritage Team / STScI / AURA / T. Do & A. Ghez, UCLA / V. Bajaj, STScI.

The center of our Milky Way galaxy is located about 27,000 light-years away in the constellation Sagittarius and is a crowded place.

This region is so dense that it’s equivalent to a million stars crammed into the space between the Sun and Alpha Centauri, 4.3 light-years away.

This nuclear cluster surrounds Sagittarius A*, a 4.3 million solar mass black hole at the center of the galaxy.

In general, many nuclear star clusters coexist with supermassive black holes, which are found in more than 70% of galaxies with masses greater than 100 million to 10 billion solar masses.

“In previous work, we hypothesized that these particular stars in the middle of the Milky Way may be unusually young,” said Lund University astronomer Rebecca Forsberg.

“Now we can confirm this. Our study shows that three of these stars are relatively young, at least as far as astronomers are concerned, ranging in age from 100 million years to about 1 billion years. We were able to determine the age.”

“This is equivalent to the age of the Sun, which is 4.6 billion years old.”

This panorama shows the central region of the Milky Way galaxy. It builds on previous surveys by NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and other telescopes, and extends Chandra’s high-energy field of view further up and down the galactic plane than previous imaging campaigns. The X-rays from Chandra are orange, green, and violet, indicating different X-ray energies. Radio data from MeerKAT is gray. Image credits: NASA / CXC / UMass / QD Wang / NRF / SARAO / MeerKAT.

In this study, Dr. Forsberg and colleagues used high-resolution data from the Keck II telescope in Hawaii. This Keck II telescope is one of the largest telescopes in the world with a 10 meter diameter mirror.

For further verification, they measured the amount of iron, a heavy element, in the stars

This element is important in tracking the development of galaxies. This is because astronomers’ theories about star formation and galaxy development show that the formation of heavy elements increases over time in the Universe, so younger stars contain more heavy elements.

To determine iron levels, astronomers looked at the star’s spectrum in infrared light. Infrared light is a part of the light spectrum that can more easily illuminate dust-dense parts of the Milky Way compared to optical light.

Researchers say there is considerable variation in iron levels.

“The very wide spread in iron levels could indicate that the innermost parts of the galaxy are incredibly heterogeneous, or unmixed,” said Dr. Brian Thorsbro, an astronomer at Lund University. Stated.

“This is something we didn’t expect, and it tells us something not only about what the center of a galaxy looks like, but also about what the early universe looked like.”

“Personally, I think it’s very exciting that we can now study the galactic center itself at such a detailed level,” Dr. Forsberg said.

“While these types of measurements have been standard for observations of our own galactic disk, they have been an unattainable goal in more remote and exotic parts of the galaxy.”

“Studies like this can teach us a lot about how our home galaxy formed and developed.”

_____

B. Thorsbro other. 2023. The range of old metallicities of stars in nuclear clusters is wide. APJL 958, L18; doi: 10.3847/2041-8213/ad08b1

Source: www.sci.news

Climate Change’s Impact on Deep Sea Ecosystems

Posted on December 11, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

New research reveals that fire ice, or frozen methane, trapped as a solid under the oceans is at risk of melting due to climate change, potentially releasing large amounts of methane into the atmosphere. I did. Using advanced seismic imaging, the research team found that dissociated methane can travel significant distances, overturning previous assumptions about its stability.

Research shows that ocean fire ice, or frozen methane, is more likely to melt due to climate change and poses a significant threat to methane emissions into the atmosphere.

An international research team led by the University of Newcastle has discovered that when frozen methane and ice melt, the powerful greenhouse gas methane is released and travels from the deepest parts of continental slopes to the edges of underwater shelves. They also found a pocket that had traveled 25 miles (40 kilometers).

Publication in magazine natural earth scienceresearchers say this means more methane could potentially become vulnerable and released into the atmosphere as a result of climate warming.

Methane hydrate: the hidden climate change threat

Methane hydrate, also known as fire ice, is an ice-like structure containing methane buried under the ocean. Huge amounts of methane are stored in the ocean as marine methane. As the ocean warms, it melts, releasing methane, known as dissociated methane, into the ocean and atmosphere, contributing to global warming.

The researchers used advanced three-dimensional seismic imaging techniques to examine sections of hydrate that have dissociated during climate warming off the coast of Mauritania in northwest Africa. They identified specific cases where dissociated methane traveled more than 40 kilometers and was released through underwater depressions known as pockmarks during warm periods in the past.

Researchers at Newcastle University have found that frozen methane trapped on the ocean floor is more likely to melt due to climate change and could be released into the ocean.Credit: Newcastle University

Discovery and its impact

Professor Richard Davies, lead author and Vice-Chancellor for Global and Sustainability at Newcastle University, said: . Our study shows that they formed as methane released from hydrates from the deepest parts of the continental slope spewed into the ocean. Scientists previously thought these hydrates would be less susceptible to climate warming, but it turns out some are more susceptible. ”

Researchers have previously studied how changes in seafloor temperatures near continental margins affect methane release from hydrates. However, these studies mainly focused on regions where only a small fraction of the earth’s methane hydrate exists. This is one of the few studies to investigate methane emissions from the bottom of hydrate stability zones deep underwater. The results show that the methane released from the hydrate stability zone migrated a significant distance towards land.

Broader research perspective and future plans

Professor Christian Berndt, Head of the Ocean Geodynamics Research Unit at GEOMAR in Kiel, Germany, added:

“This is an important finding. Previous research efforts have focused on the shallowest part of the hydrate stability zone, because we thought this was the only part that would be susceptible to climate change.

“New data clearly shows that far greater amounts of methane can be released from ocean hydrates, and a thorough understanding of this fact is needed to better understand the role of hydrates in the climate system. need to be clarified.”

Methane is the second most common anthropogenic greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide (CO2). Methane accounts for about 16% of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency figures.

The findings could play an important role in predicting and addressing methane’s impact on a changing climate.

The researchers plan to continue looking for evidence of methane vents along the margin and predict where large methane seeps may occur as the planet warms. Researchers are now planning a scientific expedition to examine the pockmarks more closely and see if they can be more closely linked to past climate warming events.

Reference: “Long-distance transport and emissions of methane from the base of the hydrate stability zone” Richard J. Davies, Jinxiu Yang, Mark T. Ireland, Christian Berndt, Miguel Ángel Morales Maqueda, Mads Huuse, December 6, 2023 , natural earth science.
DOI: 10.1038/s41561-023-01333-w

Source: scitechdaily.com

The origins of social behavior revealed in new research

Posted on December 11, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

A new study from Cornell University reveals that the visual system, not just chemoreceptors, has a major influence on the social behavior of male fruit flies. The study found that enhanced visual input can override normal social inhibition, and suggests similar mechanisms in the human brain, particularly related to conditions such as autism and schizophrenia. It has meaning in understanding.

Drosophila males typically exhibit antisocial behavior toward other males and prefer to identify females through chemoreceptors. However, recent research by Cornell University biologists shows that the fruit fly visual system plays an important role in social interactions.

The findings provide new insights into the potential roots of a variety of human social behaviors, including those associated with conditions such as bipolar disorder and autism.

This paper recently current biology.

Visual system and social behavior

many seed Many animals use vision to regulate social behavior, but the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. In Drosophila, vision is thought to be used explicitly to detect and follow movement rather than to regulate social behavior, but researchers have found that this may not be the case. .

“In our study, hyperactivation of the visual system overcomes the inhibition produced by chemical signals emitted by male flies, telling other males, ‘Okay, I know, I’m another male, don’t interfere. ”’ said senior author Nirey Yapisi, assistant professor of neurobiology and behavior. “Surprisingly, visual enhancement in the brain somehow overrides chemosensory inhibition and attracts male flies to other males.”

Researchers found that changing GABARAP/GABA;_a Receptor signaling in visual feedback neurons in the male brain influenced social inhibition in flies. When GABARAP is knocked down in the visual system, males unexpectedly exhibit increased courtship behavior towards other males.

Researchers discovered that genes similar to those in the human brain control visual neurons in fruit flies. Decreased GABA signaling in the human brain is associated with traits of social withdrawal in conditions such as autism and schizophrenia.

“Our results provide a promising avenue to investigate how these proteins regulate social behavior in the mammalian brain and their potential contribution to human mental state.” said lead author Dr. Yuta Mabuchi. ’23.

Reference: “Visual feedback neurons fine-tune Drosophila male courtship through GABA-mediated inhibition”, Yuta Mabuchi, Xinyue Cui, Lily Xie, Haein Kim, Tianxing Jiang, Nilay Yapici, September 2023 5 Day, current biology.

DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.08.034

Source: scitechdaily.com

University of Queensland researchers Matt Holden, Andrew Rogers, Russell Yong and colleagues took on the challenge of identifying species around their home in Brisbane, Australia. paper in a diary ecology.

rogers other. They discovered his 1,150 unique species of animals, plants and fungi around his inner Brisbane home. Image credit: Penny.

Dr Holden, Dr Rogers and Dr Yong conducted a census in shared homes and their backyards during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown, collecting 1,150 endemic species of animals, plants and fungi over 12 months. discovered.

“We asked a number of ecologists and conservation scientists how many species they expected to find in this environment, and they predicted only 200 species.” Dr. Holden said.

“But after 60 days of research, we had already discovered 777 species.”

“It shows that suburban homes and apartments can contain much more biodiversity than previously imagined, especially when it comes to insects.”

The idea for species number came when Dr. Rogers went to vacuum the cobwebs in his room and wondered how many spiders there were on the premises.

“The three of us immediately came up with a plan to scour our homes and backyards looking for other creatures living with us,” Dr Holden said.

The survey revealed a rich biodiversity, including 436 species of moths and butterflies, 56 species of spiders, 8 species of reptiles, and 56 species of birds.

Bird species included yellow-brown black-breasted kingfishers, common kingfishers, green honeycreepers, rainbow parakeets, spotted doves and Brisbane’s favorite, the Australian white ibis.

“Blue-bellied skinks hibernated under the garage, and at night we had green-bellied bees and teddy bear bees sleeping in the hedge under the front window,” Dr Holden said.

Researchers were also surprised to discover three species not previously recorded in Australia’s major biodiversity databases. Living Australia Atlas — Mosquitoes, sandflies, invasive flatworms, Platypus ManokwariIt is responsible for the decline in populations of native snails around the world.

“The house was a complex ecosystem of interacting species – we encountered a moth Countless scat lacerations“The caterpillars spend their entire lives feeding in green mouse feces before emerging as adults,” Dr Holden said.

“Palyrgis conqueror This is another type of moth whose caterpillars live inside spider webs and eat spider feces to survive. ”

“All urban housing has the potential to host similar biodiversity.”

“It depends on how people take care of their homes and gardens. By keeping low-maintenance trees and shrubs, keeping well-maintained lawns and eliminating pesticides, you can increase the number of critters found. will increase significantly.”

“You don’t need to travel to connect with Australia’s biodiversity; you just need to look out into your own backyard.”

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Andrew M. Rogers other. 2023. Home of a Thousand Species: The Untapped Potential of Comprehensive Biodiversity Surveys of Urban Properties. ecology, published online on December 1, 2023. doi: 10.1002/ecy.4225

In the heat transfer highway, thermal energy travels through quantum particles called phonons. but,
nanoscale today’s cutting edge
semiconductor, those phonons do not remove enough heat. Purdue researchers are therefore focused on opening new nanoscale lanes on the heat transfer highway using hybrid quasiparticles called “polaritons.”

thomas beachem

really like

heat transfer. He talks about it loudly and proudly, like a preacher in a big tent revival.

“There are several ways to describe energy,” says Beechem, an associate professor of mechanical engineering. “When we talk about light, we describe it in terms of particles called ‘photons.’ Heat also transports energy in a predictable manner. We call these energy waves “phonons.” However, in some materials, photons and phonons can come together to create new objects called “polaritons.” It carries energy in a unique way, different from photons and phonons. ”

Like photons and phonons, polaritons are not physical particles that can be seen or captured. These are similar ways of describing energy exchange.

as if

They were particles.

Still vague? How about another analogy? “Phonons are like an internal combustion engine, and photons are like an electric car,” Beechem says. “Polaritons are Toyota’s Prius. They are a hybrid of light and heat, retaining some of the properties of both. But they are special in their own right.”

Polariton is used in optical applications ranging from stained glass to home health testing. However, their ability to transfer heat has been largely ignored, as the effect becomes noticeable only when the size of the material becomes very small. “We now know that phonons do most of the heat-transferring work,” says Dr. Jacob Minyard. student in Beechem’s lab. “Polariton effects are observable only at the nanoscale. But thanks to semiconductors, we haven’t had to deal with heat transfer at that level until now.”

“Semiconductors have become incredibly small and complex,” he continued. “The people who design and manufacture these chips are starting to realize that phonons do not dissipate heat efficiently at very small scales. Our paper shows that on such length scales polaritons are not very efficient at conducting heat. We have demonstrated that we can contribute to a larger portion of the rate.”

Their research on polaritons was selected as a featured article in a magazine.

applied physics journal
.

DOI: 10.1063/5.0173917

Scenarios Mouse might see when wearing virtual reality goggles

Dom Pinke

Tiny virtual reality goggles for mice create a convincing world in which scientists can study animal brain activity in a variety of scenarios. This technology brings rodent neuroscience even closer to simulations that are indistinguishable from the real world, researchers say.

For about 20 years, Daniel Dombeck Researchers at Northwestern University in Illinois used rudimentary virtual reality to learn more about how the mouse brain works.

The machines used to observe brain patterns are too large to attach to freely moving mice. Instead, the researchers kept a mouse inside such a machine and placed a screen around the mouse that displayed a virtual reality world when it was placed on a treadmill. The researchers were able to create a virtual world where the mouse could navigate any environment they designed.

“We can run them through a virtual maze and image their brains to see which neurons form memories and remember where they are,” Dombeck says. “[But] What the animal sees is a flat surface, there is no depth perception, and the mouse sees things that are not part of the projection. So there’s a collision of all these cues around us, and we think they’re not fully engaged and immersed in the environment. They are not completely fooled.”

To solve this problem, researchers have now created tiny goggles with a different screen for each eye to cut out everything but the virtual world from the mouse’s field of view and create convincing depth perception. They believe this allows them to perform more accurate experiments because the mice become more convinced of the illusion and behave more naturally.

But designing goggles for mice isn’t as simple as simply miniaturizing technology made for humans. A human’s field of view is just over 200 degrees, while a mouse’s field of view is up to 320 degrees.

This means that the screen inside the goggles needs to be curved and almost surround the eyeball. Although the screen can only display 400 pixels by 400 pixels, Dombeck says that’s enough to be convincing, since mouse vision is much less detailed than human vision.

“The first use of goggles on the first set of mice was quite remarkable,” says Dombeck. “The rats seemed to engage very quickly. When you put the goggles on, it’s pitch black and you can’t see anything, and the virtual rendering turns on. The first rat sat up and said, ‘Oh, what is this?’ It was that kind of feeling. It then started moving pretty naturally, which doesn’t usually happen with flat projection screens.”

Dombeck says the long-term goal is to make mouse technology comparable to what’s seen in mice, with additional devices to trick the senses of smell, hearing, and touch.

topic:

A diagram of Earth 65 million years ago, when CO2 levels were much higher than today.

Chris Butler/Science Photo Library

Perhaps the most difficult question in climate science. That is, how much global warming does carbon dioxide cause? A new analysis of 66 million years of Earth’s climate history suggests that the Earth is far more sensitive to greenhouse gases than current climate models predict, which could lead to even warmer temperatures in the long term. This means that there is a possibility of further development.

A key factor determining the impact of our emissions on the planet is how much the planet warms in response to the extra CO2 we pump into the atmosphere. This sensitivity is affected by various feedback loops related to clouds, melting ice sheets, and other influences.

One way to measure this sensitivity is to look at how the climate has changed in the past. Gases trapped in ice cores can only take us back about 800,000 years, so to go even further back in time to look at temperatures and CO2 levels in the atmosphere, researchers used proxies. Masu. For example, the density of pores in plant leaves and the isotope levels in the fossil shells of marine organisms change in response to CO2 levels.

However, discrepancies between different proxies have led to an uncertain view of Earth’s ancient climate. Now, an extensive review by a team of over 80 researchers provides a clearer picture. More accurate representation of ancient CO2 levels. “We now have a much clearer picture of what carbon dioxide levels have been in the past,” he says. Berber Henisch He coordinated the project at Columbia University in New York.

This allows us to understand current CO2 levels in the atmosphere alongside the deep past. This indicates that the last time CO2 levels were as consistently high as they are now was about 14 million years ago, and much earlier than that. previous estimate.

By comparing this new CO2 data with temperature records, “we can learn how sensitive the climate has been to changes in carbon dioxide,” Hoenisch says. Current climate models estimate that doubling his CO2 levels in the atmosphere would result in a warming of 1.5°C to 4.5°C. However, the results suggest that the temperature increase is even larger, between 5°C and 8°C.

However, there is a big caveat. This new insight into the history of Earth’s deep climate covers trends over hundreds of thousands of years, rather than the short timescales of decades or centuries that are relevant to humanity today, and therefore It doesn’t tell you what the temperature is likely to be. “It’s a slow cascading effect that slowly kicks in,” Hoenisch says.

The vast time scales covered in this study also mean that details of climate sensitivity cannot be detected. michael man Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania say climate sensitivities may have been different at other times in Earth’s history compared to today, which is likely why the study yielded higher estimates than those based on more recent periods. I think this explains why I got there.

“The bottom line is that the climate sensitivity estimates from this study probably don’t apply to current anthropogenic warming,” Mann says. “Nonetheless, this study confirms a very close relationship between CO2 and global temperatures, highlighting the continuing threat of fossil fuel combustion.”

topic:

This new species of hedgehog has darker brown fur, spines, and slightly larger ears than the European hedgehog.

Zookey

Scientists have identified a new species of hedgehog. It is a dark brown creature that lives in the forests of eastern China.

In 2018, Kai He Researchers from Guangzhou University in China encountered strange-looking hedgehogs in Anhui and Zhejiang provinces. Compared to the European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus), these had dark brown fur and spines, and slightly larger ears.

After analyzing seven animals, including DNA samples, the researchers concluded that they belonged to a species that had not previously been described scientifically, which they named the species. Mesechinus orientalis.

The other four known species are mesechinus This genus is mainly found in northern China, Mongolia, and Russia, but this species M. Hugi I live in southwestern China.

“It is very interesting that this forest hedgehog was found more than 1000 kilometers from its known range,” he says.

They weigh just under 340 grams and have an average length of 18.8 centimeters. M. orientalis It is slightly smaller than other known hedgehogs of its genus.

Like other hedgehogs, M. orientalis They are nocturnal and tend to feed on insects and fruits. They also hibernate in the winter.

So far, the team has discovered M. orientalis In two provinces of China. However, based on the numbers recorded so far, they are not considered endangered, He said, estimating there are probably a few hundred individuals in these states. are doing.

There were only 17 known species of hedgehogs in the world, so “we were really happy to add one more species,” he says.

“For a real hedgehog geek like me, this is amazing news,” he says. Sophie Rand Rasmussen at Oxford University. “We look forward to learning more about the ecology of this species and whether this is different compared to other hedgehog species in the country.”

topic:

Plant-based alternatives like tempeh and bean burgers offer protein-rich options for those looking to cut back on meat. However, it is difficult to imitate the taste and aroma of meat, and many companies use artificial additives for this purpose. Recent research in ACS Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry revealed a promising solution. Onions, chives, and leeks can produce natural compounds that resemble meat flavors when fermented with typical fungi.

An innovative approach to natural meat flavoring

When food manufacturers want their plant-based meat alternatives to taste more like meat, they often add precursor ingredients found in the meat that transform into flavorants during cooking. Alternatively, flavors are first prepared by heating flavor precursors or other chemical manipulations and then added to the product.

Because these flavors are created through a synthetic process, many countries do not allow food manufacturers to label them as “natural.” To utilize plant-based “natural” meat flavors, flavor chemicals must be physically extracted from plants or produced biochemically using enzymes, bacteria, and fungi. So YanYan Zhang and colleagues wanted to see if they could produce the same chemicals from vegetables and spices using fungi, which are known for producing meat-like tastes and smells from synthetic ingredients.

Allium releases the aroma of meat

The team fermented different fungi seed After experimenting with different foods, I found that meaty aromas only come from foods in the allium family, such as onions and leeks. The sample with the strongest aroma was one in which the fungus Polyporus umbellatus was used to ferment onions for 18 hours, producing a fatty and meaty aroma similar to liverwurst.

The researchers used gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to analyze onion ferments to identify flavor and odor chemicals, many of which are known to be responsible for various flavors in meat. discovered a chemical substance. One of the chemicals they identified was bis(2-methyl-3-furyl) disulfide, a strong odorant found in meat and savory foods.

The researchers say the high sulfur content of alliums contributes to their ability to produce meat-flavoring compounds, and these compounds often also contain sulfur. These onion ferments could one day be used as a natural flavoring agent in a variety of plant-based meat substitutes, the researchers say.

Reference: “Sensoproteomic discovery of taste-modulating peptides and taste re-engineering of soy sauce” Manon Jünger, Verena Karolin Mittermeier-Kleßinger, Anastasia Farrenkopf, Andreas Dunkel, Timo Stark, Sonja Fröhlich, Veronika Somoza, Corinna Dawid, and Thomas Hofmann, 2022 May 20th Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.2c01688

The authors acknowledge funding from Adalbert-Raps-Stiftung.

UCL researchers have found that slow brain waves commonly seen during sleep occur in epilepsy patients while they are awake, preventing seizures but affecting memory, suggesting a new potential treatment for epilepsy. are doing.

A new study led by researchers at University College London (UCL) has found that slow waves, which normally occur only in the brain during sleep, also occur when epilepsy patients are awake, and show that slow waves, which are associated with epilepsy symptoms, can also occur in the brain during sleep. It was found that there is a possibility of preventing increased excitement.

Methodology and findings

The study was published today (November 30) in the journal nature communications The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) UCLH Biomedical Research Center also took part in conducting electroencephalogram (EEG) scans from electrodes in the brains of 25 patients with focal epilepsy (a type of epilepsy characterized by seizures originating from specific parts of the brain). was inspected. brain), they performed an associative memory task.

Electrodes were placed in the patient’s brain to localize abnormal activity and inform surgical treatment.

During the task, participants were presented with 27 pairs of images that remained on the screen for 6 seconds. The images are divided into nine groups of three, and each group contains photos of people, places, and objects. In each case, participants had to remember which images were grouped together. EEG data were recorded continuously throughout the task.

After reviewing EEG data, the researchers found that the brains of people with epilepsy produce slow waves lasting less than a second while they are awake and participating in tasks.

The occurrence of these “awakening” slow waves increased in response to increased brain excitability, reducing the influence of epileptic spikes on brain activity.

In particular, it reduces the “firing” of nerve cells, which the researchers say can prevent epileptic activity.

Implications and future research

Lead author Professor Matthew Walker (UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology) said: “Sleep is crucial for repairing, maintaining, and resetting brain activity. When we are awake, our brains gradually become more excitable, which recovers during sleep.

“Recent research has shown that a specific form of brain activity, namely slow waves during sleep, plays an important role in these restorative functions. We believe that these ‘sleep’ slow waves , we wanted to consider whether this could occur during wakefulness in response to the abnormal increase in brain activity associated with epilepsy.

“This study reveals for the first time ‘arousal’ slow waves, a potential protective mechanism used by the brain to counter epileptic activity. This mechanism takes advantage of brain defense activity that normally occurs during sleep, but can also occur during wakefulness in epileptic patients. ”

As part of the study, the team also wanted to test whether the occurrence of “awake” slow waves had a negative impact on cognitive function.

Researchers found that during memory tasks, “awake” slow waves reduced neuronal activity, thus affecting cognitive performance and increasing the time patients needed to complete the task.

The researchers reported that for every additional slow wave per second, reaction time increased by 0.56 seconds.

Professor Walker said: “This observation suggests that the cognitive impairments experienced by epilepsy patients, particularly memory impairments, may be due in part to short-term impairments caused by these slow waves. “

The research team hopes that future studies will increase such activity as a potential new treatment for epilepsy patients.

Lead author Dr Laurent Sheibany (UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology) said:

“Our study suggests that naturally occurring activity is utilized by the brain to offset pathological activity. However, slow waves of ‘wake’ may have no effect on memory performance. This comes at a cost because we know we give.

“From a purely neurobiological perspective, this study also supports the idea that sleep activity does not occur uniformly throughout the brain, but may occur in specific regions of the brain.”

Reference: “Awakening slow waves in focal human epilepsy affect network activity and cognition” November 29, 2023 nature communications.
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42971-3

This research was funded by the Medical Research Council, Wellcome, UCLH Biomedical Research Center and the Swiss National Science Foundation.

Killer whales have been observed harassing porpoises in the Salish Sea, a behavior that has puzzled scientists for years. A study by Wild Orca and the SeaDoc Society at the University of California, Davis is investigating what may be behind it.Credit: Wild Orca

Scientists are investigating mysterious behavior.

Scientists have long been perplexed by the behavior of fish-eating killer whales in the Pacific Northwest. Killer whales have been seen harassing porpoises and sometimes killing them instead of eating them.

In a recently published study, marine mammal scienceCo-led by Deborah Giles of Wild Killer Whales and Sarah Teman of the Sea Dog Society, a program at the University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, the 60-year record between southern killer whales and porpoises in the Salish Sea We investigated the above interactions. You can better understand why they exhibit this behavior.

Southern killer whales are endangered, with only 75 individuals left. Their survival is closely tied to the fate of Chinook salmon, which is also an endangered species. seed. Without enough Chinook salmon, these whales are at risk of extinction.

“I’m often asked: Why don’t southerners eat seals and porpoises instead?” Giles said. “That’s because fish-eating killer whales have a completely different ecology and culture than marine mammal-eating killer whales, even though they live in the same ocean area. Therefore, interactions with porpoises We must conclude that there is another purpose, but this purpose has hitherto been speculative.”

Three plausible explanations

Scientists recorded instances of southern resident killer whales harassing porpoises as early as 1962, but the reason for this behavior remained a mystery for a long time. Giles, Teman, and a team of collaborators analyzed his 78 porpoise harassment incidents recorded from 1962 to 2020. This study suggests three plausible explanations.

Social play: Harassing porpoises may be a form of social play for killer whales. Like many intelligent species, these whales may engage in playful activities to bond, communicate, or simply have fun. This behavior can benefit group coordination and teamwork.
Hunting practice: Another hypothesis suggests that harassing porpoises may hone their salmon-hunting skills. Southern resident killer whales may view porpoises as moving targets to practice their hunting skills, even if they don’t intend to eat them.
Abusive behavior: This theory suggests that the whales may be trying to care for porpoises that they perceive to be weak or sick. This is an expression of the whale’s natural tendency to help other dolphins in the group. Females have been seen carrying dead calves, as well as porpoises.

“Abusive behavior, also known to scientists as ‘left-behind behavior,’ may be due to children having limited opportunities to care for them,” Giles explained. “Our research found that malnutrition causes nearly 70 percent of southern killer whale pregnancies to miscarry or for the calves to die shortly after birth.”

salmon specialist

Despite these interesting insights, Giles, Teman, and their collaborators acknowledge that the exact reasons behind porpoise harassment may never be fully understood. .But what is clear is that porpoises do not have Part of the diet of southern resident killer whales. Southern killer whales have a diet so specialized in salmon that the idea of them eating porpoises is highly unlikely.

“Orcas are incredibly complex and intelligent animals. We found that harassing behavior toward porpoises has been passed down through generations and across social groups. It’s a great example,” says Teman. “Still, we don’t expect southern-dwelling killer whales to start eating porpoises. The salmon-eating culture is deeply rooted in southern-dwelling societies. For these whales to survive, healthy salmon populations are essential. We need numbers.”

This study highlights the importance of protecting salmon populations in the Salish Sea and throughout whale range. Maintaining an adequate supply of salmon is critical to the survival and well-being of Southern killer whales and the overall health of the Salish Sea ecosystem.

affinity for play

The study was conducted at a time when distinct killer whale populations on the Iberian Peninsula drew international headlines for interacting, sinking ships three times off the coasts of Portugal and Spain. After all, southern killer whales and killer whales of the Iberian Peninsula are two distinct populations with different cultures. What the two have in common is an affinity for play behavior.

Reference: “Harassment and Killing of Porpoises by Fish-Eating Southern Resident Killer Whales (Orcinus orca) (‘Phocoenacide’)” Deborah A. Giles, Sarah J. Teman, Samuel Ellis, John K.B. Ford, Monica W. Shields, M. Bradley Hanson, Candice K. Emmons, Paul E. Cottrell, Robin W. Baird, Richard W. Osborn, Michael Weiss, David K. Ellifritt. , Jennifer K. Olson, Jared R. Towers, Graham Ellis, Dena Matkin, Courtney E. Smith, Stephen A. Laverty, Stephanie A. Norman, Joseph K. Gaydos, September 28, 2023 , marine mammal science.

DOI: 10.1111/mms.13073

This research was funded by Wild Orca and the SeaDoc Society. Additional partners include the University of Exeter, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Orca Behavior Institute, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Cascadia Research Institute, Whale Museum, Center for Whale Research, Ocean Research College Academy (ORCA) at Everett Community College, and Gulf Zoology. , North Gulf Coast Marine Society, George Mason University, Institute of Marine Medicine.

LONDON — On Tuesday, the first transatlantic flight fueled entirely by sustainable aviation fuel departed from London to New York, as the industry aims to demonstrate the viability of eco-friendly air travel.

Virgin Atlantic’s Boeing 787s use a blend of 88% waste fat from AirBP and 12% synthetic aromatic kerosene made from plant sugars.

According to Flightradar24 data, the test flight VIR100, which had no paying passengers, took off from London Heathrow Airport at 11:49 a.m. UK time (6:49 a.m. ET) and landed at New York JFK Airport, scheduled to arrive shortly before 2 p.m. Eastern time.

Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is a general term for non-fossil-based fuels, including biofuels derived from plant and animal raw materials, municipal waste, and agricultural residues.

While emissions still occur, advocates argue that the overall “lifecycle emissions” from this fuel are significantly lower than those from regular petroleum-based fuels.

Other airlines Have you ever used SAF? It can be used on commercial flights, but usually on short-haul flights, mixed with up to 50% of conventional fuel, which was previously regulated. Tuesday’s Virgin Atlantic flight was approved by the UK Civil Aviation Authority earlier this month.

In 2021, a group of 60 companies in the aviation, transportation, and cargo industries pledged to reach 10% of SAF usage in global jet aviation fuel supply by 2030.

The advantage of SAF is that it can be used without modification of existing aircraft engines. Many airlines pledged to make investments to increase their fuel usage as they strive to reduce overall emissions during flight, including by using more fuel-efficient aircraft.

However, many challenges remain before widespread adoption, including supply shortages, high costs, and concerns about the sustainability of power generation.

There are relatively few factories producing SAF or companies shipping SAF around the world. Incentives for producers are hampered by low profits, and the Royal Society warned in a report earlier this year that only some biofuels are low carbon and feedstock availability is a challenge for scale-up.

Several groups discuss how increased production of biofuels risks exacerbating deforestation and food shortages. They argue that reducing the environmental impact of aviation, which contributes to around 2% of anthropogenic CO2 emissions, requires reducing the number of flights operated.

Virgin Atlantic CEO Shai Weiss stated that the flight demonstrated that SAF could be used as a “safe drop-in replacement for fossil-based jet fuel, helping to decarbonize long-haul aviation” and that it would prove to be the only viable solution. “SAF is simply in short supply, and it is clear that significant further investment will be required to reach large-scale production. This will only happen if the facilities are in place,” he added.

In these difficult times, it seems like complete nonsense to say that food prices are cheap. In the UK, the average grocery bill is Up more than 12% in the past year. But it is. The price tag on food is about two-thirds lower than it would be if we paid full price. But don’t worry. We have a plan to resolve this issue.

That may sound unpleasant. Who wants their grocery bills to go up even more? But in reality, we are already paying the real price, and most of it is just being secretly hidden from us. “In total, he pays four times as much for meals,” he says. Alexander Muller At the sustainability think tank TMG in Berlin. First, pay at the cash register. And we pay the health, environmental and social costs of producing that food, primarily through taxes.

green accounting

These costs are “externalities”. Things that are not free are treated as free, such as the environmental destruction caused by agriculture and the health costs of obesity. Now the producers are ignoring them and letting the rest of us pick up the bill. Maybe it won’t last very long. Economists and accountants – don’t yawn in the back. – We are working on a system called True Cost Accounting (TCA) that aims to internalize these externalities and upend decades of economic tradition. If we play our cards right, we won’t all end up spilling more cash at the register, but rather a massive rebalancing of global supply…

Higher education students in the UK are at a slightly higher risk of depression and anxiety compared to non-students, new research shows. However, this difference fades by age 25. This study, which analyzed mental health data from two longitudinal studies, highlights the need for further investigation into the causes of this trend and potential interventions.

Young people in England with higher education are at a slightly higher risk of experiencing depression and anxiety than those without higher education, according to a recent study conducted by researchers at UCL. .

Research paper published in lancet public healthis the first documented evidence of increased cases of depression and anxiety among higher education students compared to non-students.

Mental health disparities will be closed by age 25

The authors found that by age 25, the difference between graduates and non-graduates had disappeared.

Lead author Dr Gemma Lewis (UCL Psychiatry) said: Here we found worrying evidence that students may be at higher risk of depression and anxiety than their peers without higher education.

“The first years of higher education are a critical period for development, so improving young people’s mental health during this period could have long-term benefits for their health and well-being, as well as their academic performance. ” and aim for long-term success. ”

Methodology: Longitudinal studies and mental health assessment

The researchers used data from the Longitudinal Study of Young People in England (LSYPE1 and LSYPE2). The original study included 4,832 young people born in 1989-1990 who were 18-19 years old in 2007-2009. The second study included 6,128 participants who were born in 1998-1999 and were 18-19 years old in 2016-2018 (i.e., before the economic collapse). COVID-19 (new coronavirus infection) pandemic). In both studies, just over half had higher education.

Study participants completed a general mental health survey to examine symptoms of depression, anxiety, and social dysfunction at multiple time points over many years.

Findings: Higher education and mental health

Researchers found small differences in symptoms of depression and anxiety between students (including those at universities and other higher education institutions) and non-students aged 18 to 19.

This association persisted even after adjusting for potential confounders such as socioeconomic status, parental education, and alcohol use.

This analysis suggests that if the potential mental health risks of pursuing higher education were eliminated, the incidence of depression and anxiety could be reduced by 6% among people aged 18-19. ing.

Understand the risks and the need for further research

Lead author Dr Tayla MacLeod (UCL Psychiatry) said: “Based on our findings, we cannot say why students are at higher risk of depression and anxiety than others, but it may be related to academic or financial pressures. This increased risk among students has not been found in previous studies, so given that this association has recently emerged, it may be due to increased economic pressures or broader It may be related to concerns about achieving high performance in economic and social situations.

“This finding is particularly worrying as it was expected that higher education students would have better mental health than non-students as they tend to come from, on average, more advantaged backgrounds. Further research is needed to clarify the mental health risks faced by students.

“Increasing our understanding of modifiable risk factors for depression and anxiety is a global health priority, and it is clear that supporting the mental health of young people is critical.”

Reference: ‘The association between higher education attendance and common mental health problems among young people in the UK: Evidence from two population-based cohorts’ Tayla MacLeod, Strahil Kamenoff, Claire Callender, Written by Glyn Lewis and Gemma Lewis; lancet public health.
DOI: 10.1016/S2468-2667(23)00188-3

This research was commissioned and funded by the UK Department for Education.

Football is a great model of social belonging, promoting inclusivity, teamwork, community spirit, social change, and individual achievement. Still, collective factors may be the reason behind acts of violence and vandalism. In a new study, neuroscientists at the University of San Sebastian investigate the brain mechanisms underlying positive and negative social stimuli in soccer fans in positive and negative social scenarios.

Mendieta other. fMRI was used to measure the brain activity of fans of rival soccer teams during a match. This image shows the contrast between winning and losing in the “good fanatic’s brain.” Activities related to important victories are shown in warm colors. The blue scale represents activations associated with significant losses. This pattern is consistent with a mentalization network suggesting a pain rationalization process triggered by a losing scenario. Image credit: Mendieta other.

“Our study aims to uncover the behaviors and dynamics associated with extreme competitiveness, aggression, and social belonging within and between fans’ groups,” said the first author. Dr. Francisco Zamorano Mendietaa researcher at the University of San Sebastian.

Rivalries are deeply rooted in the history of sports, and fans can be very protective of their “home” team and favorite players.

These same fans run through a range of emotions as they watch their team succeed or fail during a game, cheering when they score or being furious at a bad call.

Soccer fans are known for their loyalty and enthusiasm for their team, especially in Europe and South America.

To gain insight into the brain mechanisms behind fan behavior, Dr. Zamorano and his colleagues recruited 43 healthy male volunteers for a functional MRI (fMRI) study.

Participants are fans of Chile’s two most popular soccer teams, which are considered arch-rivals.

They were divided into two groups: 22 supporters of one team and 21 supporters of the rival team.

They completed a survey to determine their Soccer Enthusiasm Score and underwent a psychological evaluation.

All participants received an edited version of the match containing 63 goals.

While participants watched a compilation of matches, their brain activity was measured using fMRI, a non-invasive imaging technique that detects changes in blood flow in the brain.

The fMRI results showed that fans’ brain activity changed depending on whether their team was successful or unsuccessful.

“When your team wins, the reward system in your brain is activated,” Dr. Zamorano says.

“Losing activates the mentalization network, putting fans into a reflective state, which may alleviate some of the pain of the loss.”

“We also observed that the brain hub connecting the limbic system and frontal cortex was disrupted, disrupting mechanisms that regulate cognitive control and increasing the likelihood of destructive or violent behavior. .”

The research team’s findings could shed light on social dynamics at all levels.

“People inherently crave social connection, whether it’s membership in a running club, participation in a book discussion group, or participation in a virtual forum,” Dr. Zamorano said.

“These social bonds are often formed around shared beliefs, values and interests, but there can also be elements of persuasive proselytism, or ‘groupthink’; That can lead to irrational beliefs and social discord.”

“The enthusiasm we see among some sports fans can serve as a convincing example of intense emotional investment, occasional aggressive behavior, and a decline in rationality.”

“Understanding the psychology of group identification and competition sheds light on decision-making processes and social dynamics, allowing us to more fully understand how societies operate.”

Authors present their work findings this month, Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) Annual Meeting.

_____

Francisco Zamorano Mendieta other. Brain mechanisms underlying emotional responses in social pain. Football as a surrogate for studying fanaticism: an fMRI study. RSNA 2023

A breakthrough in laser technology has been achieved by miniaturizing an ultrafast mode-locked laser onto a nanophotonic chip using thin-film lithium niobate. This advancement paves the way for compact and efficient lasers with wide applications in imaging, sensing, and portable technologies.

New advances enable detailed execution in pocket-sized devices.

GPS – Free high-precision navigation, medical image processing, food safety inspection, etc.

Lasers are essential tools for observing, detecting, and measuring things in nature that cannot be seen with the naked eye. However, the ability to perform these tasks is often limited by the need to use expensive and bulky equipment.

Innovation in ultrafast laser technology

In a new cover story paper published in a magazine scienceIn , researcher Qiushi Guo demonstrates a new approach to creating high-performance, ultrafast lasers on nanophotonics chips. His research focuses on the miniaturization of mode-locked lasers. A mode-locked laser is a unique laser that emits a series of ultrashort coherent light pulses at femtosecond intervals, which is an astonishing one quadrillionth of a second.

Chip-scale ultrafast mode-locked laser based on nanophotonic lithium niobate.Credit: Alireza Marandi

Unraveling nature’s fastest timescales

Ultrafast mode-locked lasers are essential for unlocking the secrets of nature’s fastest timescales, such as the formation and breaking of molecular bonds during chemical reactions and the propagation of light through turbulent media. The high speed, pulse peak intensity, and wide spectral coverage of mode-locked lasers also enable numerous photonics technologies, such as optical atomic clocks, biological imaging, and computers that use light to calculate and process data. Ta.

Unfortunately, state-of-the-art mode-locked lasers are currently expensive, power-hungry benchtop systems that are limited to laboratory use.

Aiming for smaller and more efficient photonics

“Our goal is to revolutionize the field of ultrafast photonics by converting large lab-based systems into chip-sized systems that can be mass-produced and deployed in the field.” said Guo, a faculty member in the Photonics Initiative at the University’s Center for Advanced Science Research. Professor of Physics at New York University Graduate Center.

“In addition to miniaturization, we want to ensure that these ultrafast chip-sized lasers can provide satisfactory performance. requires sufficient pulse peak strength, preferably 1 watt or more.”

Challenge to miniaturization

However, achieving an effective mode-locked laser on a chip is not a simple process. Guo’s research leverages an emerging materials platform known as thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN). This material allows highly efficient shaping and precise control of laser pulses by applying external radio frequency electrical signals.

In their experiments, Guo’s team created a unique combination of III-V high laser gain. semiconductor TFLN’s efficient pulse shaping function nanoscale Using photonic waveguides, we demonstrate a laser capable of emitting high output peak power of 0.5 watts.

Future impacts and challenges

Beyond its compact size, the demonstrated mode-locked laser also exhibits many interesting properties that are unattainable with conventional lasers, leading to deep implications for future applications. For example, by adjusting the laser’s pump current, Guo was able to precisely tune the output pulse repetition frequency over a very wide range of 200 MHz. By leveraging the demonstrated strong reconfigurability of lasers, the research team hopes to realize chip-scale, frequency-stabilized comb light sources, which are essential for high-precision sensing.

Guo’s team still needs to take on additional challenges to achieve scalable, integrated, ultrafast photonic systems that can be translated for use in portable and handheld devices, but his lab has demonstrated Overcame a major obstacle in the construction.

Potential real-world applications

“This achievement paves the way to eventually use mobile phones to diagnose eye diseases and analyze food and the environment for E. coli and dangerous viruses,” Guo said. “This could also enable futuristic chip-scale atomic clocks that enable navigation even when GPS is compromised or unavailable.”

Learn more about this breakthrough advancement below.

Reference: “Ultrafast mode-locked lasers in nanophotonic lithium niobate” Qiushi Guo, Benjamin K. Gutierrez, Ryotosekine, Robert M. Gray, James A. Williams, Luis Ledezma, Luis Costa, Arkadev Roy, Selina Zhou, Mingchen Liu, and Alireza Marandi, November 9, 2023; science.
DOI: 10.1126/science.adj5438

black hole butt

Roger Sharp added another item to his summary of feedback about black holes that can be found on surface maps of our planet (October 7).visitors to Nelson’s Mai Tai Esplanade ReserveNew Zealanders may feel relieved after entering a Blackhole public toilet.

Feedback points out that installing a toilet in an astrophysical black hole would eliminate the need for some expensive parts of modern waste treatment facilities, particularly sewage piping systems and septic tanks.

insert a needle into the patient

How far is it okay to insert a needle a little too deeply into someone’s abdomen? 365 surgeons from 58 European countries gave their opinion on this topic. Their thoughts, desires, and perhaps even dreams are distilled into a study called “.Relevance of Veres needle overshoot reductionBy researchers from the Netherlands and Malta.

These are the needles used to inflate the patient before performing the internal looking and subsequent cutting and manipulation tasks that are the highlight of most laparoscopic surgeries. A special type of needle called a Veres needle has long been the standard device for puncturing and injecting air into people who enter a shop for repairs. This performs much the same function as a simple type of needle used to inflate a soccer ball.

This study investigates the desire and need for a new and better Veress needle design.

The researchers said that surgeons “felt it was important to have a firm grip on the needle shaft, as most respondents held the needle rather than the grip.” The reason is that some surgeons try to stabilize their hands by touching the abdominal wall with their fingers during insertion, and the grip is too far from the abdominal wall. The data also shows that the maximum overshoot should be limited to 0 to 10 mm. ”

Almost every professional activity has a specific tolerance for error. Publication of this paper will make the public more aware of professionals’ general tolerance for overinsertion of injection needles in laparoscopic surgery patients.

goaf gangue

Unfamiliar scientific terminology can be fun, especially when the words are mined from depths that are unfamiliar to most people.

The same goes for gangue and goaf. He came across the feedback while reading a report by Zhanshan Shi of China’s Liaoning University of Technology and colleagues.Simulation test study on filling flow law of gangue slurry in goaf”.

Goaf is the waste that accumulates during mining. Gangue is a seemingly worthless portion of ore extracted from a mine. Goaf necessarily has gangue.

There are also mysteries. The report states that “there is little research on flow rules for gangue slurries in the Goahu sedimentary rock mass.”

This report is a reminder that there is always something yet to be unearthed, even if it is just information.

wooden board

In the vast forest of nominative determinism of people whose names are hilarious and almost eerily related to work, a few trees, namely the names of some people, are particularly suited to the purpose. One is Marlin E. Plank, who served as a forest products research technician at his Pacific Northwest Research Station in Portland, Oregon. He spent much of his professional life estimating how much commercially useful wood could be obtained from certain types of trees.

Stewart Harrison told Feedback of his joy upon discovering Planck’s 1982 paper.Harvesting wood from ponderosa pines in western Montana”.

A trip through the library found more plankitudes, including a plank on a log.Estimating the volume of small-diameter logs of ponderosa pine and lodgepole pine”.

Planck’s most sophisticated log paper may be the one he co-authored with Floyd Johnson in 1975 called .Empirical log rules for Douglas fir in western Oregon and western Washington”. This describes a better way, a low-key and practical way to estimate how much wood you will get if a tree is plank-harvested.

Plank and Johnson said: “The traditional procedure for estimating timber aggregates is based on theoretical log rules, defect deductions, and overrun factors. This procedure is indirect, subjective, and complex. It is also clearly inaccurate. Theory A better procedure is described that is based on actual wood recovery rather than the wood recovery above.”

Planck passed away in 2014. The Planck memorial website says:To plant a tree in your memory, visit the Sympathy Store.”.

Blindfold measures

Greg Rubin squints at a fellow computer security expert who warns that information on a video screen can be extracted from the reflections of video chatters’ glasses (October 28).

he says: “This is what my community has.” is known about For many years. I also sometimes comment on the reflections I see during video calls. Personally, I recommend using simple defense strategies for long and boring conference calls. Close your eyes and take a nap. ”

Mark Abrahams hosted the Ig Nobel Prize ceremony and co-founded the magazine Annals of Improbable Research. Previously, he was working on unusual uses of computers.his website is impossible.com.

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A new study finds that accounting for the long-term effects of tropical cyclones increases the global social cost of carbon by more than 20%. This increase is due to the predicted increase in damage in major countries due to global warming. The study highlights that current estimates ignore these long-term economic effects and underestimate the true costs of climate change.

Extreme events like tropical cyclones have an immediate impact but have long-term effects on society. New research published in the journal Nature Communications. Considering the long-term effects of these storms, the global societal carbon cost will increase by more than 20 percent compared to estimates currently used in policy assessments. This increase is primarily due to the predicted increase in damage from tropical cyclones to the major economies of India, the United States, China, Taiwan, and Japan due to global warming.

“Our analysis shows that severe tropical cyclones have the power to slow a country’s economic development by more than a decade. Global warming is expected to increase the proportion of the most intense tropical cyclones. “This increases the likelihood that the economy will not be able to fully recover between storms,” explains Hazem Krishen, author and scientist at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) at the time of the survey. Therefore, long-term effects such as reduced economic growth caused by tropical cyclones can have an even greater negative impact on economic development than the direct economic damage caused by the storm.

The so-called social carbon cost is an estimate of the future cost to society in dollars of emitting an additional ton of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. This important indicator is widely used in policy evaluation because it allows comparisons between the costs of climate change to society and the costs of climate mitigation measures. “However, the long-term effects of extreme events have not been taken into account so far, so current societal carbon cost estimates reflect only a portion of the real costs. The costs are probably even higher than currently estimated, which means that the benefits of climate mitigation are underestimated,” says co-author Franziska Piontek from PIK.

Hotter climate, more intense tropical cyclones, and rising costs

For the study, scientists analyzed the economic damage caused by these storms in 41 tropical cyclone-prone countries between 1981 and 2015 and made predictions about future global warming scenarios. did. In contrast to previous studies, these studies accounted for most of the long-term negative effects of these storms on economic development. The researchers found that these impacts increase the social cost of carbon by more than 20 percent globally (from US$173 to US$212 per tonne of carbon dioxide) and by 40 percent in the tropical cyclone-prone countries analyzed. I found that it has increased. Estimates of social carbon costs currently used in policy evaluations.

“When it comes to extreme events, the emphasis is on the immediate economic damage. However, these are important to inform society about the real costs of climate change and the climate impacts that can be avoided with effective climate action. It is equally important to better quantify the overall cost of events,” concludes study author Christian Otto of PIK.

Reference: “Social Costs of Tropical Cyclones” November 23, 2023 Nature Communications.
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43114-4

Newborn babies seem to recognize the language their mother speaks

Fida Hussein/AFP/Getty Images

Experiments with newborn babies suggest that they are already aware of their native language, suggesting that language learning may begin before birth.

“We’ve known for some time that fetuses can hear towards the end of pregnancy.” judith jarvan at the University of Padua, Italy. “[Newborn babies] They can recognize their mother’s voice and prefer it to other women’s voices, and can even recognize the language spoken by their mother during pregnancy. ”

To investigate further, Gervain and his colleagues studied the brain activity of 49 infants between one and five days old who had French-speaking mothers.

Each newborn was fitted with a small cap containing 10 electrodes placed near areas of the brain associated with speech recognition.

The team then played a recording that began with three minutes of silence, followed by a seven-minute excerpt from the story. goldilocks and the three bears They took turns speaking in English, French, and Spanish, then there was silence again.

When the babies heard French sounds, the researchers observed spikes in a type of brain signal called long-range temporal correlation, which is related to the perception and processing of sounds. These signals decreased when babies heard other languages.

The researchers found that in a group of 17 infants who last heard French, this spike in neural activity persisted during the subsequent silence.

These findings suggest that babies may already perceive their mother’s native language as more important, Jarvan says. “This is essentially facilitating the learning of their native language,” she says.

The researchers now hope to conduct experiments with babies whose mothers speak different languages, particularly Asian and African languages, to see how generalizable their results are. They also want to investigate how the development of speech perception changes in the womb in infants who have less typical prenatal experiences, such as premature infants.

“Of course, it’s good to talk to your stomach,” Jarvan says. “But we have shown that natural everyday activities, like shopping or talking to neighbors, are already vocal enough to serve as scaffolds for babies’ learning. ”

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Egyptian vultures have been in rapid decline since the 1980s

Blickwinkel / Alamy

A large-scale international effort has successfully addressed the vulture threat and protected endangered vultures along migration routes between Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Egyptian vulture (Neophron Percnopterus) can be shot, poisoned or electrocuted by livestock farmers as they travel through 14 countries each year.

The combination of these threats has reduced the number of breeding pairs in Eastern Europe from 600 in the 1980s to just 50 today.

Since 2012, conservationists working along bird migration routes have been gradually eliminating these threats. In the Balkans, the number of poisoning incidents was halved between 2018 and 2022 by working with farmers to reduce the use of poisonous livestock predator baits eaten by vultures.

The project will also insulate live parts near the perches of more than 10,000 utility poles in countries ranging from Bulgaria to Ethiopia, and the use of vulture body parts substitutes in traditional medicine in Niger and Nigeria. promoted.

In addition, 30 captive-bred vultures were released in Bulgaria, an important breeding area, between 2016 and 2022.

Over the past 10 years, conservation efforts have reduced adult mortality by 2% and juvenile mortality by 9%, and the population has increased by 0.5% annually, according to Steffen Oppel of the Swiss Institute of Ornithology and colleagues.

“Currently, the population is stable with a very small increase,” Oppel says.

The research also benefited other migratory birds that follow the same route as the vultures, including buzzards, eagles and storks.

Oppel and his colleagues sighted thousands of storks (ciconia) Arriving in southern Turkey, many were electrocuted when their wings touched live cables when they landed on utility poles. To avoid this, plastic or rubber covers were used to insulate power cables in areas where conservation teams found large numbers of dead birds.

People are also benefiting, he says. “We have had great success with companies in Bulgaria, for example, and now in Turkey, who have realized that it is in their interests that there will be far fewer interruptions in service if they insulate power lines. It is.”

Any intervention to save vultures is important and the Balkans project has a good chance of success. kelly walter of valpro, a conservation organization in South Africa. “This is an all-out war, and every in-situ and ex-situ conservation intervention and strategy is important to do everything within our means.” [to save the species],” she says.

Southern Africa once had its own breeding population of Egyptian vultures, but they are now extinct.

Flyway funded by the European Union project Egyptian vultures became extinct in the Balkans at the end of 2022, but Oppel says work needs to continue to prevent mortality rates from rising again.

“On the one hand, we want to say, ‘Yes, we have achieved something great because we have successfully avoided the demographic trend of declining immigration,’ but on the other hand, we want to make sure that politicians understand this. You have to let it happen. It’s not fixed forever.”

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P. Prairie/E. Daines/Science Photo Library

It’s not often that a respected professor embarks on an investigation into a scientific discovery by a 15-year-old, but in 1938 Robert Bloom made an exception. The British-born paleontologist was keenly aware that South Africa in the 1930s was gaining a reputation for extremely primitive-looking hominin fossils. So when he heard that elementary school student Gerd Terblanche had discovered a fragment of a human skull in a cave there, he immediately tracked him down. Bloom’s visit to the boy’s school was successful. The boy later recalled that he was walking around with children. “Probably the world’s four most precious teeth are in his pants pocket.”.

Within a few months, Bloom completed his analysis of the fossil. He determined that they were different from anything previously discovered; He gave ancient humans a new name. paranthropus.

However, although he was convinced that the remains were valuable, paranthropus He never became famous. Perhaps it was because it was a misfit. It resembled one of our small-brained ancestors, but existed on Earth long after other ape-like hominids were replaced by large-brained hominins. Even among paleoanthropologists, paranthropus They are depicted as a “forgotten” human race.

It probably won’t last very long. Spurred by the discovery of more fossils, researchers are finally starting to re-evaluate this addition to the evolutionary tree – and their research suggests it was one of the strangest. ing. paranthropus They may have been skilled tool makers, but they also may have grazed like cows and communicated with low calls like elephants. The question now is whether this research will bring us any closer to understanding how the last apemen survived in a world dominated by…

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