The covert chocolate garden designed to prevent the cocoa shortage

Posted on December 5, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

Give chocolate a fighting chance

Maciej Gorzelinski/EyeEm/Getty

READING will keep its secrets safe. Some might describe this town, 60 kilometers west of London, as nondescript. Exotic is certainly not the word. But hidden within a walled garden in a field on the south side of town is a special and unique destination. If it weren’t for what was going on here in the giant white tent, the chocolate would hit the stony road – nothing like marshmallows. This is the International Cocoa Quarantine Center. Find all your holiday reading here

Chocolate is the most popular sweet in the world. Globally, we eat 7 million tonnes of chocolate a year, and demand is on the rise as consumers in Asia also love the taste of chocolate. However, supply is never guaranteed. Most of the world’s commercial cocoa plants originate from just a few clones created in the 1940s, which have so far proven productive enough to meet demand. But this leads to a dangerous lack of genetic diversity, leaving cocoa vulnerable to the many pests and diseases that love it just like we do. Approximately 30 to 40 percent of crops are lost to disease each year, and there are concerns that climate change will worsen the problem. Efforts to breed new varieties of cocoa that are more productive, hardy and pest-resistant mean sending specimens around the world, which risks spreading disease and making matters worse. That is why, since 1985, the majority of cocoa samples transported to distant regions have made his two-year pit stop. “Today, Reading is the epicenter of the international cocoa movement,” says Andrew Daymond with some pride. He is a plant physiologist at the University of Reading and is in charge of cocoa quarantine. Once inside the tent, I am transported to the tropics. A wall of heat and humidity hit me, along with an impressive sight of hundreds of lush, green, two-meter-tall plants. Some had large orange or red pods hanging from their trunks. Daymond led me down a path of trees, stopping to snip a wrinkled yellow pod. Slice it open to reveal a white, slimy pulp with fatty brown seeds inside. The seeds are bitter and have only a slight chocolate taste. It is only after the seeds and pulp are fermented and the seeds are dried and roasted that the characteristic crunchy flavor begins to appear. “Why do we read?” I ask. It is a different world from the tropical forests of South America where cacao grows naturally. That’s exactly what’s important, Daymond says. Even if the pathogen were to escape, it would not survive long in Britain’s warm climate, and there are no crops in its native habitat to infect. In quarantine, Daymond and his team are keeping an eye out for fungal diseases that cause pods to rot, such as witch’s broom and the festive-sounding frostypod, both of which spread easily. In the 1990s, witch’s broom decimated cocoa production in the Brazilian state of Bahia after spores were introduced from the Amazon region, perhaps intentionally. Bahia’s production plummeted by 75%. So far, neither disease has reached West Africa. West Africa currently grows most of the world’s cocoa. They have various problems there. The insect-borne disease bud swollen virus can kill cocoa trees within a few years, and the bush beetle feeds on the pods, reducing yields by up to 40 percent. Yuri Cortes/AFP/Getty Images The cocoa samples arrive in Redding in the form of budwood (short sticks with many actively budding buds). Approximately 30 new varieties are introduced each year, including wild plants from rainforest expeditions. Upon arrival, samples are inspected for obvious signs of insect stowaway. The bud is then grafted onto a seedling to establish the mother plant. To check for any less obvious problems, buds from the mother plant are also grafted onto seedlings of an “indicator” plant, a type of cacao that exhibits more pronounced disease symptoms than other plants. If a virus or other disease is present in the incoming sample, symptoms will eventually develop. After two years, the research team is confident that the dormant virus will emerge and the plant will be deemed safe. Genetic tests being developed at the University of Reading could offer a way to speed up the isolation process, but Daymond says he is still not sure if these tests can detect all viruses. . Once the cacao trees are proven to be disease-free, cuttings are sent to researchers around the world. One of them is Wilbert Phillips Mora, a cocoa disease expert and head of the breeding program at Costa Rica’s Center for Advanced Education in Tropical Agriculture (CATIE). For decades, he has painstakingly mixed promising strains to create hybrids that are screened for disease resistance. “We are refreshing the cocoa blood,” says Phillips Mora. His CATIE R6, one of the new varieties he developed, not only shows remarkable resistance to frosty pods, but also significantly increases productivity. The chocolate decorating the cake was honored in 2009 at the International Cocoa Awards for its taste and aroma. quite a pile of beans New varieties such as CATIE R6 are sent to researchers in other countries to cross with indigenous crops and deploy to farmers. Many plantations, particularly in West Africa, are reaching the end of their productive life. This new blood is desperately needed.. The quarantine greenhouse is the size of four tennis courts, and most of it is already filled with all-cleared plants (400 varieties). Plants still in quarantine will be kept separately. Has anyone made chocolate from the Redding crop, preferably ask Daymond. “That’s not something we tried,” he says. “You need heaps of beans to properly ferment cocoa beans, and we don’t have a lot of pods available here.” Regardless, I decided to give it a try when I got home. I placed the contents of the single cacao pod Daymond gave me in the most tropical environment I could find, next to a hot water tank. First, the pulp must be fermented into an alcoholic liquid to break down the astringent compounds contained in the seeds. The seeds are then dried and roasted in the oven. easy. Or not, after all. A few days later, I noticed that there were a few moldy black beans in the bag, and it had a not-so-appetizing aroma. Leave the chocolate making to the experts and enjoy the exotic flavors of Redding in every bite. This article was printed under the heading “Away from Chalk”.

Source: www.newscientist.com

New Discovery May Enhance Fuel Production

Posted on December 3, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

Researchers at Washington State University have discovered self-sustaining oscillations in the Fischer-Tropsch process, an important industrial method for converting coal, natural gas, or biomass into liquid fuels. This breakthrough reveals oscillatory rather than steady-state behavior in reactions, which could lead to more efficient and controlled fuel production. This discovery provides a new knowledge-based approach to catalyst design and process optimization in the chemical industry.

Researchers at Washington State University have made significant progress in understanding the Fischer-Tropsch process, an important industrial method for converting coal, natural gas, or biomass into liquid fuels. They discovered that, unlike many catalytic reactions that maintain a steady state, the Fischer-Tropsch process exhibits self-sustaining oscillations that alternate between high and low activity states.

This insight published in the journal scienceopens the possibility of optimizing the reaction rate and increasing the yield of the desired product, which could lead to more efficient fuel production in the future.

“Velocity fluctuations, usually accompanied by large fluctuations in temperature, are undesirable in the chemical industry due to safety concerns,” said corresponding author Professor Norbert Kruse of the WSU Jean and Linda Voiland School of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering. (corresponding author) said. “In this case, the oscillations are controlled and mechanistically well understood. With this foundation of understanding, both experimental and theoretical approaches to research and development can be quite different. It really becomes a knowledge-based approach, which is very useful for us.”

Rethinking catalyst design

The Fischer-Tropsch process is commonly used to make fuels and chemicals, but researchers have had little understanding of how the complex catalytic conversion process works. This process uses a catalyst to convert two simple molecules, hydrogen and carbon monoxide, into long chains of molecules, hydrocarbons that are widely used in everyday life.

Research and development in the fuel and chemical industries has used a trial-and-error approach for more than a century, but researchers will now design catalysts more intentionally and use vibrational techniques to tune reactions and improve catalytic reactions. will be able to cause the condition. performance.

The researchers first encountered this oscillation after graduate student Rui Zhang approached Kruse about the problem of not being able to stabilize the reaction temperature. Studying it together, they discovered surprising vibrations.

“It was very interesting,” Kruse said. “He showed it to me and I said, ‘Louis, congratulations, you have a vibration! “And we continued to develop this story.”

The researchers not only discovered that the reaction causes an oscillatory reaction state, but also discovered why this happens. That is, as the reaction temperature increases due to heat generation, the reaction gas loses contact with the catalyst surface, slowing the reaction and decreasing the temperature. When the temperature is low enough, the concentration of reactant gases on the catalyst surface increases and the reaction rate accelerates again. As a result, the temperature increases and the cycle ends.

Fusion of theory and experiment

For this study, the researchers demonstrated the reaction in the lab using a frequently used cobalt catalyst modified by the addition of cerium oxide and modeled how it works.Co-author Pierre Gaspard of the Free University of Brussels developed the reaction scheme and theoretically imposed Change the temperature periodically to reproduce the experimental rate and selectivity of the reaction.

“This is so beautiful that we were able to model it theoretically,” said corresponding author Yong Wang, Regents Professor in the WSU Boyland School and Zhang’s co-supervisor. . “Theoretical and experimental data were in close agreement.”

Kruse has been researching vibrational responses for more than 30 years. The discovery of oscillatory behavior due to the Fischer-Tropsch reaction was quite surprising because the Fischer-Tropsch reaction is mechanistically very complex.

“In our research, we sometimes experience a lot of frustration because things don’t go our way, but sometimes we have moments that we can’t explain,” Kruse said. “It’s very rewarding, but ‘rewarding’ is a weak word to describe the excitement of making this great progress.”

Reference: “Obcillating Fischer-Tropsch Reaction” by Rui Zhang, Yong Wang, Pierre Gaspard, Norbert Kruse, October 5, 2023, science.
DOI: 10.1126/science.adh8463

This research was supported by Chambroad Chemical Industry Research Institute Co., Ltd., the National Science Foundation, and the Department of Energy’s Basic Energy Sciences Catalysis Science Program.

Source: scitechdaily.com

Researchers chart extensive subterranean microbial world

Posted on December 2, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

Professor Magdalena Osburn removed the samples during a site visit in August.

A former gold mine serves as a gateway to explore microbes deep within the Earth’s crust. If you add up the mass of all the microorganisms that live beneath the Earth’s surface, their combined biomass exceeds the biomass of all life in the oceans. However, because of the difficulty of accessing these depths, this myriad of subterranean organisms remains largely unexplored and poorly understood. Using a repurposed gold mine in the Black Hills of South Dakota as a laboratory, Northwestern University researchers have created the most comprehensive map yet of the elusive and rare microbes that live beneath our feet. In total, the researchers characterized nearly 600 microbial genomes, some of which were new to science. Within this group, most microbes fit into one of two categories, said Magdalena Osburn, a Northwestern geoscientist who led the study. And “maximalists” are ready to greedily grab any resources that may come their way. This study was recently published in the journal environmental microbiology.

This new research not only expands our knowledge of the microbes that live deep underground, but also hints at potential life that may one day be discovered underground. Mars. Because microbes rely on resources in rocks and water that are physically distant from the surface, these organisms could survive buried in Mars’ dusty red depths. “The deep underground biosphere is huge. It’s just a huge space,” said Osburn, an associate professor of Earth and planetary sciences in Northwestern University’s Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences. “We used the mine as a conduit to access a biosphere that is difficult to reach no matter how we approach it. A lot of that comes from understudied groups. DNA, you can understand what kind of creatures live underground and find out what they do. These are organisms that we cannot grow in the laboratory or study in more traditional settings. They are often referred to as “microbial dark matter” because we know so little about them.

For the past 10 years, Osburn and his students have been regularly visiting the former Homestake Mine in Reed, South Dakota, collecting geochemical and microbial samples.Now Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF)’s deep underground laboratory is home to numerous research experiments across a variety of fields. In 2015, Osburn established his six proving grounds. Mine Deep Microbial Observatorythroughout SURF.

Back in Osburn’s lab at Northwestern University, she and her team sequenced the DNA of the microorganisms held within the samples. Of the approximately 600 genomes characterized, microorganisms represented 50 different phyla and 18 candidate phyla. Osburn discovered that within this diverse microbial community, each lineage, at some point, gravitates toward a life-defining trajectory: becoming a minimalist or a maximalist.
“Some of these strains don’t even have the genes to make their own lipids, which is shocking,” Osburn said. “Because how can you make cells without fat? It’s like humans can’t make all the amino acids. Therefore, by consuming protein, amino acid Something we can’t create on our own. But this is on a more extreme scale. Minimalists are the ultimate specialists and we all work together. There’s a lot to share and no duplicate work

Osburn said these underground microbes may provide clues to what might exist elsewhere as we imagine life beyond Earth. “It’s really exciting to see evidence of microbes operating without us, without plants, without oxygen, without surface atmosphere,” she said. “It’s very likely that this kind of life currently exists deep on Mars or in the icy moon’s oceans. The forms of life tell us what lives elsewhere in the solar system.”
And they also affect our own planet. For example, as industry looks for long-term storage for carbon, many companies are exploring the possibility of injecting it deep underground. As we consider those options, Osburn reminds us not to forget the microbiome.

Reference: “A Metagenomic View of New Microbial and Metabolic Diversity Discovered in the Earth’s Deep Biosphere in DeMMO: Microbial Observatory in South Dakota, USA” by Lily Momper, Caitlin P. Casar, and Magdalena R. Osburn, 2023. November 14th, environmental microbiology.DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16543 This research was supported by NASA Exobiology (grant numbers NNH14ZDA001N, NNX15AM086), the David and Lucille Packard Foundation, and the Canadian Institute for the Advancement of Research—Earth 4D.

Source: scitechdaily.com

“Unconscious Brain Activity and Epileptic Seizures: The Role of Sleep Brain Waves”

Posted on November 30, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

A new study has found that the slow brain waves typical of sleep occur in epilepsy patients when they are awake, helping to prevent the brain from becoming more excited. These waves reduce epileptic activity while negatively impacting memory, suggesting a potential new therapeutic approach for epilepsy.

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.

Source: scitechdaily.com

Why do killer whales target and attack porpoises instead of preying on them?

Posted on November 29, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

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.

Source: scitechdaily.com

First sustainable aviation fuel-powered long-distance flight takes off

Posted on November 29, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

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.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

The Impact of Green Accounting on the True Cost of Cheap Food for a Better World

Posted on November 28, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

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…

Source: www.newscientist.com

Higher Education Linked to Higher Risk of Depression and Anxiety

Posted on November 28, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

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.

Source: scitechdaily.com

Cosmology: A Simple Explanation

Posted on November 28, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

The US Department of Energy defines cosmology as the study of the origin and development of the entire universe. It is divided into observational and physical branches, with observational cosmology using telescopes and instruments for direct evidence of the universe’s structure and evolution, while physical cosmology studies the universe’s development and the physics that created it.

The origins of cosmology can be traced back to the 1500s when Copernicus observed the Earth’s revolution around the sun, and later in the 1600s when Newton discovered that objects in space follow the same physical laws as those on Earth. In the early 20th century, Einstein’s theory of relativity provided a model of space-time, leading to modern physical cosmology.

Modern cosmologists believe that dark matter and dark energy make up most of the universe, with dark energy accounting for more than two-thirds, and dark matter for a quarter of the universe. The study of cosmology encompasses various fields such as big bang, formation of large-scale structures, big bang nucleosynthesis, cosmic microwave background, dark matter, and gravitational waves.

Scientists estimate that there are 2 trillion galaxies in the universe, and the earliest light to reach Earth was 13.77 billion years ago. The total energy balance of the universe consists of about 5 percent ordinary matter, 27 percent dark matter, and 68 percent dark energy.

The US Department of Energy’s Office of Science supports cosmology research through its Nuclear Physics and High Energy Physics programs, which focus on the study of particles, dark matter, and dark energy to further understand the universe.

Source: scitechdaily.com

Neuroscientists analyze brain scans of soccer fans to research passionate devotion

Posted on November 27, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

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

Source: www.sci.news

Shrinking Ultra-High-Speed Laser to Fit on a Fingertip

Posted on November 25, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

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

Source: scitechdaily.com

Newly Discovered Black Hole Found in New Zealand Restroom

Posted on November 23, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

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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Source: www.newscientist.com

New molecule developed by researchers to combat antimicrobial resistance – a game-changing antibiotic breakthrough

Posted on November 23, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

Researchers at Maynooth University have used supramolecular chemistry to discover new molecules to fight drug-resistant bacteria. This new discovery suggests a potential new approach to antibiotic development and has important implications for public health.Credit: Ella Mar Studio

Researchers at Maynooth University have developed a new molecule designed to fight drug-resistant bacteria.

An international team including researchers from Maynooth University has developed a new molecule that has the potential to fight drug-resistant bacteria.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a phenomenon in which bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites evolve over time and become immune to drugs. This resistance makes infections more difficult to cure and increases the risk of prolonged illness and death. With predictions that traditional antibiotics will largely lose their effectiveness by 2050 due to rising AMR levels, finding new ways to eradicate bacteria has become a key scientific priority.

Supramolecular chemistry: the key to fighting AMR

The research leveraged the principles of supramolecular chemistry, a niche scientific field that studies interactions between molecules, to achieve the breakthrough. Most importantly, this study discovered a molecule that is efficient at killing bacteria, yet has very low toxicity to healthy human cells.

New research published in prestigious journal chemistry, in conjunction with World AMR Awareness Week, which will be held from November 18th to 24th. This global campaign, run by the World Health Organization, aims to raise awareness and understanding of AMR in the hope of reducing the emergence and spread of drug-resistant infections.

More than 1.2 million people, and likely millions more, died as a direct result of antibiotic-resistant infections in 2019, according to the most comprehensive estimate to date of the global impact of AMR. The research could pave the way for new approaches to tackling the problem, which kills more people each year than HIV/AIDS or malaria.

Luke Brennan, lead researcher in Maynooth University’s Department of Chemistry, said: “We are discovering new molecules and investigating how they bind to anions, negatively charged chemicals that are very important in the context of the biochemistry of life.” It’s laying a fundamental foundation that could help fight a variety of diseases, from cancer to cystic fibrosis.”

A “Trojan horse” approach to resistant bacteria

The study was based on the use of synthetic ion transporters, and the researchers found that the influx of salts (sodium and chloride ions) into bacteria can trigger a series of biochemical events that lead to bacterial cell death. was demonstrated for the first time. Strains of bacteria that are resistant to currently available antibiotics, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

Study co-author Dr Robert Hermes from the Kathleen Lonsdale Institute for Human Health at Maynooth University said: “This study shows how our approach, a kind of ‘Trojan horse’ that causes salt influx into cells, can be used to effectively kill resistant bacteria. It eliminates bacteria in a way that counters known bacterial resistance methods.”

Bacteria work hard to maintain a stable concentration of ions within their cell membranes, and when this delicate balance is disrupted, normal cell function is wreaked havoc and the cell is no longer viable.

Elms continued, “These synthetic molecules bind to chloride ions, enveloping them in a ‘blanket of fat’ and making them easily soluble in bacterial membranes, taking the ions along with them and allowing them to function normally.” Disturbs the ion balance.” This study is a great example of fundamental knowledge of chemical fundamentals that has implications for an unmet need in human health research. ”

Professor Kevin Kavanagh, microbiologist in Maynooth University’s School of Biology, commented: This research is an example of chemists and biologists working together to pioneer the development of new antimicrobial agents with great promise.”

Such results pave the way for the potential development of anion transporters as viable alternatives to currently available antibiotics, which is urgently needed as the problem of AMR continues to grow. This is what has been done.

Reference: “Strong antimicrobial effects induced by disruption of chlorine homeostasis” Luke E. Brennan, Lokesh K. Kumawat, Magdalena E. Piatek, Airlie J. Kinross, Daniel A. McNaughton, Luke Marchetti, Conor Geraghty, Conor Wynne , by Hua Tong, Oisin N. Kavanagh, Finbarr O’Sullivan, Chris S. Hawes, Philip A. Gale, Kevin Kavanagh, Robert BP Hermes, August 23, 2023. chemistry.
DOI: 10.1016/j.chempr.2023.07.014

This research was supported by Science Foundation Ireland’s Pharmaceutical Research Center (SSPC) and the Irish Research Council (IRC).

Source: scitechdaily.com

The impact of tropical cyclones on carbon costs

Posted on November 23, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

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

Source: scitechdaily.com

Active Matter Theory sheds new light on longstanding biological enigmas

Posted on November 23, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

November 22, 2023A team of scientists has developed a new algorithm to solve theoretical equations for active materials, deepening our understanding of living materials. This research is of vital importance in biology and computational science, paving the way for new discoveries in cell morphology and the creation of artificial biological machines. Advanced open-source supercomputer algorithms predict the patterns and dynamics of living matter and enable exploration of its behavior across space and time. Biological materials are made up of individual components, such as tiny motors that convert fuel into motion. This process creates a pattern of movement, guiding the shape of the material itself through a consistent flow driven by constant energy consumption. Such permanently driven substances are called “active substances.”

How cells and tissues work can be explained by active matter theory, a scientific framework for understanding the shape, flow, and form of living matter. Active matter theory consists of many difficult mathematical equations. Scientists from Dresden’s Max Planck Institute for Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG), the Dresden Center for Systems Biology (CSBD), and the Dresden University of Technology have developed an algorithm implemented in open-source supercomputer code. For the first time, you can solve active matter theory equations in realistic scenarios. These solutions bring him a big step closer to solving his century-old mystery of how cells and tissues acquire their shape, and to designing artificial biological machines. 3D simulation of active substances in a dividing cell-like geometry. Credit: Singh et al. Physics of Fluids (2023) / MPI-CBG

Biological processes and behaviors are often highly complex. Physical theory provides a precise and quantitative framework for understanding physical theories. Active matter theory provides a framework for understanding and explaining the behavior of active substances, which are materials made up of individual components that can convert chemical fuels (“food”) into mechanical forces. The development of this theory was led by several Dresden scientists, including Frank Uricher, director of the Max Planck Institute for Complex Systems Physics, and Stefan Grill, director of MPI-CBG. These physical principles allow us to mathematically describe and predict the dynamics of active organisms. However, these equations are very complex and difficult to solve. Therefore, scientists need the power of supercomputers to understand and analyze living matter. There are various ways to predict the behavior of active materials, including by focusing on small individual particles, by studying active materials at the molecular level, and by studying active fluids on a larger scale. These studies help scientists understand how active substances behave at different scales in space and time. Scientist in the research group of Dresden University of Technology Ivo Sbalzarini Professor at the Dresden Center for Systems Biology (CSBD), research group leader at the Max Planck Institute molecular cell The Dean of the Department of Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG) and Computer Science at the Technical University of Dresden has now developed a computer algorithm to solve the active substance equation. Their research was published in the journal fluid physics and it appeared on the cover. They present an algorithm that is capable of solving complex equations for active materials in three-dimensional and complex-shaped spaces.

“Our approach can handle a variety of shapes in three dimensions over time,” says research mathematician Abhinav Singh, one of the study’s first authors. He continued, “Even when the data points are not regularly distributed, our algorithm employs a novel numerical approach that works seamlessly for complex biologically realistic scenarios, and the theoretical equations Using our approach, we can finally understand the long-term behavior of active materials in both mobile and non-mobile scenarios in order to predict dynamic scenarios. Additionally, theory and simulation can be used to program biological materials and create engines at the nanoscale to extract useful work.” The other first author, Philipp Suhrcke, holds a master’s degree in computational modeling and simulation from the Technical University of Dresden. “Thanks to our research, scientists can predict, for example, the shape of tissues and when biological materials will become unstable or dysregulated, leading to growth and disease. This has far-reaching implications for our understanding of mechanisms.”

The scientists implemented the software using the open source library OpenFPM. This means that others can use it freely. OpenFPM was developed by his Sbalzarini group to democratize large-scale scientific and technical computing. The authors first developed a custom computer language that allows computational scientists to write code for a supercomputer by specifying mathematical formulas that let the computer do the work of writing the correct program code. As a result, you no longer have to start from scratch every time you write code, effectively reducing code development time in scientific research from months or years to days or weeks, greatly increasing productivity.

Because the study of three-dimensional active materials has significant computational demands, using OpenFPM the new code is scalable on shared and distributed memory multiprocessor parallel supercomputers. This application is designed to run on powerful supercomputers, but can also be run on regular office computers to study 2D materials. Ivo Sbalzarini, the study’s lead researcher, summarizes: All this has been integrated into a tool for understanding her three-dimensional behavior of living matter. Our code, which is open source, scalable, and able to handle complex scenarios, opens new avenues in active materials modeling. This could ultimately lead to an understanding of how cells and tissues acquire their shape, addressing fundamental questions in morphogenesis that have puzzled scientists for centuries. There is a gender. But it may also be useful for designing artificial biological machines with minimal components.

References: “Numerical solver for three-dimensional active fluid dynamics and its application to active turbulence” by Abhinav Singh, Philipp H. Suhrcke, Pietro Incardina, and Ivo F. Sbalzarini, October 30, 2023. fluid physics. DOI: 10.1063/5.0169546 This research was funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Bundesministerium f€ur Bildung und Forschung, BMBF), the Federal Center for Scalable Data Analysis and Artificial Intelligence, ScaDS.AI, and Dresden/Leipzig. The computer code supporting the results of this study is publicly available in the 3Dactive-hydynamics github repository at: https://github.com/mosaic-group/3Dactive-hydrodynamic sThe open source framework OpenFPM is available at: https://github.com/mosaic-group/openfpm_pdataRelated publications for embedded computer languages https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpc.2019.03.007https://doi.org/10.1140/epje/s10189-021-00121-x (function (d, s, id) {var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName (s) [0]; if (d.getElementById (id)) return; js = d.createElement (s); js.id = id; js.src = “https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.6”; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore (js, fjs); } (document, ‘script’, ‘facebook-jssdk’));

Source: scitechdaily.com

Infants may begin acquiring language skills in the womb

Posted on November 23, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

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. ”

topic:

Source: www.newscientist.com

Rescued Vultures Saved from Poisoning and Electrocution

Posted on November 21, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

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.”

topic:

Source: www.newscientist.com

How did Paranthropus, a peculiar, ape-like early hominin, manage to survive for so long?

Posted on November 20, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

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…

Source: www.newscientist.com

The Surprising Role of NASA in Tackling the Climate Crisis

Posted on November 19, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

Flaring, the deliberate burning of excess natural gas into the atmosphere, is one way methane is released from oil and gas facilities. His EMIT mission for NASA, over more than a year of operation, demonstrated its proficiency in discovering methane and other greenhouse gas emissions from space.

Since its launch 16 months ago, the EMIT imaging spectrometer has international space station demonstrated the ability to detect more than just surface minerals. More than a year after first detecting a methane plume from its perch on the International Space Station (ISS), data from NASA’s EMIT instrument is now being used to analyze greenhouse gas emissions with a level of proficiency that surprised even its designers. used to identify source emissions.

EMIT‘s mission and capabilities

EMIT, which stands for Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation, was launched in July 2022 to map 10 major minerals on the surface of the world’s arid regions. Mineral-related observations are already available. researcher and the general public to better understand how dust in the atmosphere affects the climate.

Methane detection was not part of EMIT‘s primary mission, but the instrument’s designers expected the imaging spectrometer to have that capability. More than 750 sources of emissions have been identified since August 2022, some of which are small, located in remote areas, and persistent over long periods of time, according to a new study published in the journal However, this device is said to have achieved more than sufficient results in that respect. scientific progress.

EMIT identified a cluster of 12 methane plumes within a 150 square mile (400 square kilometer) area in southern Uzbekistan on September 1, 2022. The instrument captured this cluster, which the researchers call a “scene,” in a single shot.

Credit: NASA/JPL-California Institute of Technology

Methane emissions and climate change

“We were a little cautious at first about what this device could do,” said Andrew Thorpe, a research engineer on the EMIT science team. NASAis a researcher at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California and the paper’s lead author. “It exceeded our expectations.”

Knowing where methane emissions are coming from gives operators of landfills, agricultural sites, oil and gas facilities, and other methane-producing facilities the opportunity to address methane emissions. Tracking human methane emissions is key to limiting climate change because it provides a relatively low-cost and rapid approach to reducing greenhouse gases. Methane remains in the atmosphere for about 10 years, during which time it traps heat up to 80 times more strongly than carbon dioxide, which remains for centuries.

When strong winds kick up mineral rock dust(such as calcite or chlorite) on one continent, the airborne particles can travel thousands of miles and impact an entirely different continent. Airborne dust can heat or cool the atmosphere and the ground. This heating or cooling effect is the focus of NASA’s Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) mission.

Credit: NASA/JPL-California Institute of Technology

amazing results

EMIT has proven effective in detecting both large-scale sources (tens of thousands of pounds of methane per hour) and surprisingly small sources (hundreds of pounds of methane per hour). It has been. This is important because it will allow us to identify more “superemitters,” or sources that produce a disproportionate share of total emissions.

A new study documents how EMIT was able to observe 60% to 85% of the methane plumes typically seen during airborne operations, based on the first 30 days of greenhouse gas detections.

On September 3, 2022, EMIT detected a methane plume emitting approximately 979 pounds (444 kilograms) per hour in a remote corner of southeastern Libya. This is one of the smallest sources ever detected by this instrument.

Credit: NASA/JPL-California Institute of Technology

Comparison with airborne detection

From thousands of feet above the ground, an aircraft’s methane detection equipment is more sensitive, but researchers need advance notice that they will detect methane before the aircraft can be dispatched. Many areas are not explored because they are considered too remote, too dangerous, or too expensive. Furthermore, actual campaigns cover a relatively limited area over a short period of time.

EMIT, on the other hand, will collect data from a space station at an altitude of about 400 kilometers, covering a wide area of the Earth, especially the arid region between 51.6 degrees north and 51.6 degrees south latitude. The imaging spectrometer produces a 50-mile-by-50-mile (80-kilometer-by-80-kilometer) image of the Earth’s surface (researchers call it a “scene”), including many areas that could not be reached with airborne instruments. capture.

“The number and size of methane plumes that EMIT has measured around our planet is astonishing,” said Robert O. Green. JPL Senior Researcher and Principal Investigator at EMIT.

NASA EMIT

We created this time-lapse video showing the International Space Station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm moving NASA’s EMIT mission outside the station. The Dragon spacecraft was launched…

Posted by NASA EMIT on Wednesday, October 26, 2022

Detection by scene

To help identify sources, the EMIT science team created maps of methane plumes and identified them as Websitethe underlying data are available at the NASA and U.S. Geological Survey Joint Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center (LPDAAC). Data from this mission will be available to the public, scientists, and organizations.

EMIT began collecting observations in August 2022 and has since recorded more than 50,000 scenes. The instrument discovered clusters of emission sources in little-studied areas. Southern Uzbekistan On September 1, 2022, we detected 12 methane plumes totaling approximately 49,734 pounds (22,559 kilograms) per hour.

Additionally, the instrument detected a much smaller plume than expected.captured in a secluded corner Southeastern Libya On September 3, 2022, one of the smallest sources to date was emitting 979 pounds (444 kilograms) per hour, based on local wind speed estimates.

Reference: “Attribution of Individual Methane and Carbon Dioxide Sources Using EMIT Observations from Space” Andrew K. Thorpe, Robert O. Green, David R. Thompson, Philip G. Brodrick, John W. Chapman, Clayton D. Elder, Itziar, Iraklis-Leuchert, Daniel H. Cusworth, Alana K. Ayasse, Riley M. Duren, Christian Frankenberg, Louis Gunter, John R. Warden, Philip.・E. Dennison, Dar A. Roberts, K. Dana Chadwick, Michael L. Eastwood, Jay E. Farren and Charles E. Miller, November 17, 2023, scientific progress.

DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adh2391

EMIT mission details

EMIT was selected from the Earth Venture Instrument-4 public offering by NASA’s Science Mission Directorate’s Earth Sciences Division and was developed at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, managed for NASA by the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, California. Data from this instrument is publicly available for use by other researchers and the public at the NASA Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center.

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The reasons why certain individuals do not exhibit symptoms of coronavirus infection

Posted on November 19, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

The peptide NQK-Q8 (light color), part of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein that the virus uses to enter cells, bound to the groove of HLA-B*15:01 (orange color). This figure shows the crystal structure of HLA-B*15:01 in complex with the spike-derived peptide NQKLIANQF from the SARS-CoV-2 virus, published by Augusto et al., 2023 (Nature) (PDB Entry – 8ELH) It is based on.Credit: Andre Luis Lourenço

New study shows common genetic variations among people are involved in mediating SARS-CoV-2 Asymptomatic infection.

Have you ever wondered why some people don’t get sick? COVID-19 (new coronavirus infection)? Research recently published in journals Nature We show that common genetic variations among people are responsible for vectoring asymptomatic transmission of SARS-CoV-2. The results show that people with this mutation do not feel sick once infected. This exciting discovery was the result of a joint U.S.-Australian study led by Dr. Danilo Augusto, an assistant professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Dr. Jill Hollenbach, Professor, University of California, San Francisco. Stephanie Gras, a professor at La Trobe University in Australia.

The role of human leukocyte antigens (HLA)

The research focuses on a group of genes called human leukocyte antigens (HLAs). These HLA genes code for proteins that the immune system uses to identify healthy cells and distinguish them from cells infected with bacteria or viruses. The HLA system is important for the immune response, but varies widely between individuals. Because of the role of HLA in fighting infections, researchers are wondering whether there may be certain variants that make us more protected against or more susceptible to SARS-CoV-2. I thought about it. virus.

Danilo Augusto, assistant professor of biological sciences at UNC Charlotte;

Research results and methodology

Hollenback led the data collection that began early in the pandemic. First, 29,947 unvaccinated people were screened using a mobile app specifically designed to track COVID-19 symptoms, and 1,428 people tested positive for the virus. reported.everyone has their own DNA It has been pre-sequenced for HLA gene analysis. Researchers found that people with the gene mutation HLA-B*15:01 were much more likely to remain asymptomatic after infection. Remarkably, this variant is present in approximately 10% of the population. In summary, those who had HLA-B*1501 in their genome could not avoid infection, but they were spared from getting sick.

Insights into the immune response

“We hypothesized that their immune systems would respond so quickly and strongly that the virus would be cleared before they could cause symptoms. It would be because they already know what to look for. It’s like having an army where you can tell by their uniforms that they’re bad guys,” Hollenback said.

HLA molecules present parts of the virus to immune effector cells for testing. The study used cells from individuals with HLA-B*15:01 who donated blood several years before the pandemic. The results showed that these people had memory T cells against specific particles of SARS-CoV-2. People who had never had any contact with SARS-CoV-2 had already been exposed to other viruses in some way and had developed an immune memory against particles from SARS-CoV-2.

Their immunological memory would elicit a much faster response and explain why those people remain asymptomatic. Still, it remained intriguing how they were able to develop immune memory against SARS-CoV-2 without ever being exposed to this virus.

cross-reactive immune response

“It is widely known that other types of coronaviruses have been causing seasonal colds for decades. We know that these people have been exposed to seasonal coronaviruses in the past and that somehow Alternatively, we hypothesized that people specifically carrying HLA-B*15:01 could rapidly kill cells infected with SARS-CoV-2 through a cross-reactive immune response. So even if the bad guys changed their uniforms, the military would be able to identify them by a tattoo on their boots or maybe an arm. That’s how our immunological memory works to keep us healthy. ” Augusto said.

After careful analysis of the genome sequences of all coronaviruses, this study found that this SARS-CoV-2 particle, recognized by HLA-B*15:01 in unexposed individuals, was It was shown to be very similar to particles. By presenting crystal structures and affinity assays, this study demonstrated that T cells from pre-pandemic individuals can discriminate between past coronaviruses and SARS-CoV-2 virus particles with equal efficiency. This means that these individuals have created immunological memory against previous coronaviruses, but because of the high similarity of this viral particle, memory T cells also recognize SARS-CoV-2 very quickly. can be killed.

Implications and future research

The results point to a mechanism for how individuals avoid illness caused by SARS-CoV-2, and the research group plans to continue learning about responses to the virus, which could lead to treatments for COVID-19. Your understanding of the law and vaccines will deepen.

For more information about this study, see “Uncovering the secrets of the COVID-19 ‘Super Dodgers’.” Reference: “Common alleles of” HLA Asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 Infection is Associated with .

Danilo G. Augusto, Lawton D. Murdlo, Demetra SM Chatzileontiadu, Joseph J. Sabatino Jr., and Tasneem Yousufari , Noah D. Peiser, Xochitl Butcher, Kelly Kaiser, Caroline Guthrie, Victoria by W. Murray, Vivian Pe, Sannidhi Sarvadavabatla, Fiona Beltran, Gurjot S. Gill, Carla L. Lynch, Cassandra Yun, Colin T. Maguire, Michael J. Peluso, Rebecca Ho, Timothy J. Henrik, Stephen G. Deeks, Michelle Davidson, Scott Lu, Sarah A. Goldberg, J. Daniel Kelly, Jeffrey N. Martin, Cynthia A. Vieira-Green, Stephen R. Spellman, David J. Langton, Michael J. Dewar-Aldiss, Corey Smith, Peter J. Bernard, Seulgi Lee, Gregory M. Marcus, Jeffrey M. E. Holguin, Mark J. Pletcher, Martin Myers, Stephanie Gras, Jill A. Hollenback, July 19, 2023, Nature.

Source: scitechdaily.com

New artificial protein developed by scientists can enhance memory

Posted on November 19, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

Researchers have developed a new breakthrough in memory research by genetically modifying the LIMK1 protein and activating it with rapamycin. This innovative approach shows promise in the treatment of memory-related neuropsychiatric disorders and in the advancement of neurological research.

Researchers at the Catholic University of Rome’s Faculty of Medicine and Surgery and the A. Gemelli National Polyclinic Foundation IRCCS have developed an artificial protein that improves memory.

Neuroscientists at the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery of the Catholic University of Rome and the Agostino Gemelli National Polikuri Foundation IRCCS genetically modified a molecule called LIMK1, a protein that normally operates in the brain and plays an important role in memory.

They added a “molecular switch” activated by administering rapamycin, a drug known for some anti-aging effects on the brain.

Collaborative research with important implications

This is the research result published in the journal scientific progressIt involves the Catholic University of Rome and the Agostino Gemelli National Polyclinic Foundation IRCCS. The study was coordinated by Claudio Grassi, full professor of physiology and chair of the neuroscience department.

This research was supported by the Italian Ministry of Education, Universities and Research and the U.S. government. Alzheimer’s disease The Association Foundation and the Italian Ministry of Health have great application potential by deepening our understanding of memory function and facilitating the identification of innovative solutions for neuropsychiatric diseases such as dementia.

Role of LIMK1 in memory processes

The LIMK1 protein plays an important role in determining structural changes in neurons, namely the formation of dendritic spines. Dendritic spines enhance information transmission in neural networks and are important for learning and memory processes.

Professor Claudio Grassi, senior author of the study, explains: “Memory is a complex process that involves changes in synapses, connections between neurons, in specific brain regions such as the hippocampus, a neural structure that plays an important role in memory formation.”

“This phenomenon, known as synaptic plasticity, involves changes in the structure and function of synapses that occur when neural circuits are activated, such as by sensory experiences. It promotes the activation of signal transduction pathways,” Professor Grassi added.

“Some of these proteins are particularly important for memory, and in fact, decreased expression or modification of these proteins is associated with changes in cognitive function. One of these proteins is LIMK1. The goal of our study was to control the activity of this protein, as it plays an important role in the maturation of dendritic spines. We have shown that controlling LIMK1 with drugs can promote synaptic plasticity. meaning that it can promote the physiological processes that depend on it,” Professor Grassi emphasizes.

Chemogenetic strategies: a new approach to memory enhancement

“The key to this innovative ‘chemogenetics’ strategy, which combines genetics and chemistry, is the use of the immunosuppressive drug rapamycin,” said Christian Ripoli, associate professor of physiology at Catholic University and lead author of the study. It is precisely connected to this,” he added. The drug is known to increase life expectancy and have beneficial effects on the brain in preclinical models. ”

“We therefore modified the sequence of the LIMK1 protein by inserting a molecular switch that can activate it on command through the administration of rapamycin,” emphasizes Professor Lipoli.

“Using this gene therapy to modify the LIMK1 protein and activate it with a drug significantly improved memory in animals with age-related cognitive decline. This makes it possible to manipulate synaptic plasticity processes and memory in clinical conditions, and paves the way for the development of further “engineered” proteins that could revolutionize research and treatment in the field of neurology. ”, experts emphasize.

“The next step is to test the effectiveness of this treatment in experimental models of neurodegenerative diseases that exhibit memory impairment, such as Alzheimer’s disease. Further research is also needed to validate the use of this technology in humans. “Professor Grassi concluded.

Reference: “Manipulation of memory by exogenous disordered kinases” Cristian Ripoli, Onur Dagliyan, Pietro Renna, Francesco Pastore, Fabiola Paciello, Raimondo Sollazzo, Marco Rinaudo, Martina Battistoni, Sara Martini, Antonella Tramutola, Andrea Sattin, Eugenio Barone, Takeo Written by Saneyoshi, Tommaso Ferrin, Yasunori Hayashi, Claudio Grassi, November 15, 2023, scientific progress.
DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adh1110

Source: scitechdaily.com

The Quiet Contributors: How Anxiety and Depression Can Speed Up Cardiovascular Disease

Posted on November 17, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

A recent study presented at the 2023 American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions highlighted the link between mental health and cardiovascular disease. The study found that anxiety and depression can hasten the onset of cardiovascular risk factors, that cumulative stress scores are significantly associated with heart disease, and that mental health has a significant impact on heart health.

Two other studies presented at the same session also linked mental health and heart health, showing that depression and anxiety may accelerate the development of cardiovascular risk factors and critical events. According to one study conducted in Boston, people with a higher genetic susceptibility to stress developed cardiovascular risk factors at a younger age than those without the genetic marker. A separate Dallas-based study found that accumulated stress contributes to negative health behaviors such as smoking, leading to worsened cardiovascular health.

The American Heart Association emphasizes that mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, and stress increase the risk of poor heart health. Two new studies have found that a person’s mental state may affect their health to a greater extent than previously thought.

One study examined the mechanisms by which mental state affects heart health, finding that depression and anxiety accelerate the development of new cardiovascular risk factors. Researchers found that people with depression or anxiety developed new risk factors on average six months earlier than those without mental health conditions, and were at a higher risk for major cardiovascular events. Another study showed that cumulative stress scores were significantly associated with increased risks of atherosclerosis and overall cardiovascular disease.

Researchers encouraged more frequent screenings for cardiovascular risk factors in people with depression and anxiety, and suggested that treatment for these mental health conditions may reduce the acceleration of cardiovascular risk factors.

The two studies presented at the 2023 American Heart Association Scientific Sessions underscore the interdependence of mental and heart health, and emphasize the need for proactive care for mental health conditions in order to improve overall heart health.

Source: scitechdaily.com

The Process of a ‘Bouncing’ Comet Spreading Life Across the Galaxy

Posted on November 15, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

Researchers at the University of Cambridge have discovered how comets can deliver the molecular building blocks of life to planets in our galaxy, particularly those in the “pea-in-a-pod” system, where the planets orbit each other closely. It was demonstrated that

Cambridge researchers have proposed that comets could carry the building blocks of life to other planets, especially in the “pea-in-a-pod” system. Their findings suggest that these molecules can survive on planets with close orbiting neighbors, providing new insights into the search for extraterrestrial life.

How did the molecules that make up life originate on Earth? One long-standing theory is that they may have been transported by comets. Now, researchers from the University of Cambridge have shown how comets can deposit similar building blocks on other planets in the galaxy.

The role of Comet Speed and the “Peas in a Pod” system

To transport organic material, comets must travel relatively slowly, at speeds of less than 15 kilometers per second. At higher speeds, critical molecules cannot survive. The speed and temperature of the impact causes the molecules to break apart.

The most likely place for a comet to travel at a reasonable speed is in a “pea in a pod” system, where groups of planets orbit closely together. In such systems, comets can essentially pass or “bounce” from one planet’s orbit to another, slowing them down.

If the velocity is slow enough, the comet will hit the planet’s surface, releasing intact molecules that researchers believe are precursors to life. The results were announced on November 15th. Proceedings of the Royal Society A suggests that if the arrival of comets is important for the origin of life, such systems would be promising places to look for life outside the solar system.

Comet: carrier of prebiotic molecules

Comets are known to contain various building blocks of life known as prebiotic molecules. For example, a sample of asteroid Ryugu analyzed in 2022 showed that the asteroid was delivered intact. amino acid and vitamin B3. Comets also contain large amounts of hydrogen cyanide (HCN), another important prebiotic molecule. HCN has strong carbon-nitrogen bonds, making it highly resistant to high temperatures. This means that it can survive and remain intact even if it enters the atmosphere.

Lead author Richard Anslow, from the Cambridge Institute of Astronomy, said: “We’re constantly learning more about the atmospheres of exoplanets, so we’re wondering whether there are planets out there where complex molecules could be transported by comets. I wanted to find out.” “It’s possible that the molecules that brought life to Earth came from comets, and the same could be true for other planets in our galaxy.”

The researchers do not claim that comets are necessary for the origin of life on Earth or other planets, but instead place limits on the types of planets to which complex molecules such as HCN can be successfully transported by comets. I was thinking about it.

Comet path and influence on the solar system

Most of the comets in our solar system are located outside of Earth’s orbit. Neptune,So-called kuiper belt. When comets and other Kuiper Belt Objects (KBOs) collide, they can be pushed toward the Sun by Neptune’s gravity and eventually pulled into the Sun. Jupitergravity. Some of these comets pass through the asteroid belt and enter the inner solar system.

“Earth is currently the only example of a planet with life, so we wanted to test our theory on a planet similar to ours,” Anslow said. “What kind of comet, moving at what speed, could deliver intact prebiotic molecules?”

Using various mathematical modeling techniques, the researchers determined that it is possible for comets to carry precursor molecules throughout their lives, but only in certain scenarios. For a planet to orbit a star similar to our Sun, the planet must have a low mass, and it is beneficial for the planet to be in a close orbit to other planets in the system. The researchers found that nearby planets in close orbits are much more important for planets around low-mass stars, whose typical velocities are much higher.

In such a system, a comet could be pulled in by the gravity of one planet and pass by another before colliding with it. If this “comet pass” occurs enough times, the comet’s velocity will be slow enough that some prebiotic molecules will be able to survive atmospheric entry.

“In these dense systems, each planet has a chance to interact with and capture the comet,” Anslow said. “This mechanism could be how prebiotic molecules reach the planet.”

For planets orbiting low-mass stars like M dwarfs, complex molecules are more difficult to transport by comets, especially if the planet’s density is loose. Rocky planets in these systems are also exposed to higher velocity collisions, which can pose unique challenges for life on these planets.

Implications for the search for extraterrestrial life

Researchers say their results could help determine where to look for life outside the solar system.

“It’s interesting that we can start to identify the types of systems that can be used to test different origin scenarios,” Anslow said. “This is another way of looking at the great work already being done on Earth. What molecular pathways gave rise to the wide variety of life we see around us? Are there other planets with similar pathways? These are exciting times, as we can combine advances in astronomy and chemistry to study some of the most fundamental questions.”

Reference: “Can comets deliver prebiotic molecules to rocky exoplanets?” RJ Anslow, A. Bonsor, PB Rimmer, November 15, 2023. Proceedings of the Royal Society A Mathematical Physics and Engineering Sciences.

DOI: 10.1098/rspa.2023.0434

This research was supported by the Royal Society and part of the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), which is part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). Richard Anslow is a Fellow of Wolfson College, Cambridge.

Source: scitechdaily.com

Comets are the most likely carriers of life’s essential building blocks to planets in clusters

Posted on November 15, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

Nearby neighboring worlds can slow down the comet enough to allow the building blocks of life to survive

Shutterstock/Bradaki

It may be easiest to deliver materials for life to neighboring planets. Comets can carry many of the key building blocks of life, such as amino acids and other organic compounds, but their ability to deliver those building blocks to a particular planet depends on the configuration of their broader systems. It may depend.

There are several ideas about how the ingredients for life began on Earth, but the common idea is that a comet hit the Earth and organic molecules were deposited here. But comets tend to travel through space at extremely high speeds, and if they hit a planet at more than about 20 kilometers per second, the chances of their important compounds surviving the impact are almost zero.

Richard Anslow Researchers at the University of Cambridge ran a series of simulations to investigate how planetary systems can slow down comets and reduce their impact velocity enough to preserve these compounds. In ideal conditions, a slow impact would leave behind a type of prebiotic soup called a comet pond within the impact crater.

They discovered that there are two types of systems that can slow down a comet by 5 to 10 kilometers per second. One is a system with relatively massive stars, where everything tends to orbit slightly. For planets that are slow and have several planets spaced closely together like peas in a pod, the comet could weave between them and lose speed over time. there is.

“The best planetary systems are on relatively low-mass planets like Earth, around high-mass stars similar to the Sun but perhaps even more massive, and close enough for other rocky planets to pass through.” “It would be in a planetary system that has comets around it,” Anslow said.

He said that if astronomers eventually detect signs of life on other planets, simply examining the overall system configuration could help them understand how it got there. and that it could advance our limited understanding of how life formed. Earth.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

DeepMind AI outperforms top weather forecasts, with one caveat

Posted on November 14, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

Will the AI tell me if I need an umbrella?

Sebastien Bozon/AFP via Getty Images

AI company Google DeepMind says AI can more accurately predict the weather 10 days out than current state-of-the-art simulations, but meteorologists are still trying to build weather models based on actual physical principles. It warns against abandoning and relying solely on patterns in the data. Expose the shortcomings of AI approaches.

Existing weather forecasts are based on mathematical models, which use physics and powerful supercomputers to definitively predict what will happen in the future. These models have gradually become more accurate by adding more details, but this requires more calculations, more powerful computers, and higher energy demands.

Rémi Lam and his colleagues at Google DeepMind took a different approach. The company’s GraphCast AI model is trained on his 40 years of historical weather data from satellites, radar, and ground-based measurements to identify patterns that even Google DeepMind can’t understand. “As with many machine learning AI models, it’s not that easy to interpret how the model works,” Lamb says.

To make the predictions, actual weather measurements taken at two points six hours apart from more than one million locations around the globe are used to predict the weather six hours into the future. These predictions can be used as input for another round that predicts another 6 hours into the future.

DeepMind researchers carried out this process using data Produces a 10-day forecast from the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). They say it outperformed ECMWF’s “gold standard” High Resolution Forecasting (HRES) by providing more accurate forecasts on more than 90 per cent of the data points tested. At some altitudes, this accuracy increased to 99.7%.

Matthew Chantry He, who worked with Google DeepMind at ECMWF, said his organization had previously seen AI as a tool to complement existing mathematical models, but in the past 18 months it has seen a shift in the way AI can actually provide predictions on its own. He said that he has become able to do so.

“We at ECMWF believe this is a very exciting technology that has the potential not only to reduce energy costs when making forecasts, but also to improve them. Creating a reliable operational product “Probably more work is needed, but this is likely the beginning of a revolution in the way weather forecasts are made, and this is our assessment,” he says. According to Google DeepMind, using GraphCast to make a 10-day forecast takes him less than a minute on a high-end PC, but with HRES it can take several hours on a supercomputer.

But some meteorologists are wary of trusting weather forecasting to AI. Ian Renfrew According to researchers at the University of East Anglia in the UK, GraphCast currently lack the ability to marshal data into its own starting state, a process known as data assimilation. In traditional predictions, this data is carefully incorporated into simulations after thorough checks on physics and chemistry calculations to ensure accuracy and consistency. Currently, GraphCast must use a starting state prepared in the same way by ECMWF’s own tools.

“Google won’t be doing weather forecasts any time soon because they can’t assimilate the data,” Renfrew said. “And data assimilation is typically one-half to two-thirds of the computation time for these forecasting systems.”

He says there are also concerns about completely abandoning deterministic models based on chemistry and physics and relying solely on AI output.

“Even if you have the best predictive model in the world, what’s the point if the public doesn’t trust you and you don’t take action? We ordered the evacuation of 30 miles of Florida’s coastline. “If nothing happens, it will blow away the trust that has been built over decades,” he says. “The advantage of a deterministic model is that you can investigate it. If you get a bad prediction, you can investigate why that prediction is bad and target those aspects for improvement.”

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Source: www.newscientist.com

12 Billion Years Ago, JWST Uncovers Secrets of Star-Forming Galaxies

Posted on November 14, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

Thanks to the James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers discover that most early galaxies from about 12 billion years ago had more glowing gas than stars due to interactions with neighboring galaxies. I was able to.

This groundbreaking result provides new insights into the evolution of galaxies and the early Universe, and highlights the transformative impact of JWST on astrophysics.

New images from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have helped Australian astronomers uncover the secrets of how infant galaxies began a burst of star formation in the very early universe .Some early galaxies were rich in gas that shined brighter than emerging stars. In a new study, astronomers have discovered just how prevalent these bright galaxies were about 12 billion years ago. Images from JWST show that nearly 90% of galaxies in the early Universe had this glowing gas, creating so-called “extreme emission line features. An image of a distant polar emission galaxy. Observed by the James Webb Space Telescope (left) and the Hubble Space Telescope (right). This comparison highlights the sharpness of the JWST images. Credit: ARC Center of Excellence for All Sky Astrophysics in 3 Dimensions (ASTRO 3D)

“The stars in these young galaxies were amazing, producing enough radiation to excite the gas around them. This gas, in turn, shined even brighter than the stars themselves.” said Dr. Anshu Gupta, Curtin University Node of the ARC Center for Three-Dimensional All-Sky Astrophysics (ASTRO 3D) and the International Radio Astronomy Research Center.Iqral), lead author of the paper describing this finding. “Until now, it has been difficult to understand how these galaxies are able to accumulate so much gas. Our discovery suggests that each of these galaxies had at least one neighboring galaxy. This suggests that interactions between these galaxies cool the gas and trigger intense star formation episodes, resulting in this extreme luminescence property.” Progress in observing galaxies in the early universe

This discovery is an example of the unparalleled clarity the JWST telescope provides in studying the early universe.

“The quality of data from the James Webb Telescope is exceptional,” says Dr. Gupta. “It has the depth and resolution necessary to observe the surroundings and neighboring galaxies of early galaxies, when the universe was just 2 billion years old. We were able to confirm that there are significant differences in the number of neighboring galaxies among galaxies that do not.”

The target galaxy observed by the James Webb Space Telescope (left) and the Hubble Space Telescope (right). The unprecedented resolution and sharpness of the JWST images allowed us to identify neighboring galaxies (cyan circles) that were not even visible to Hubble. Credit: ARC Center of Excellence for All Sky Astrophysics in 3 Dimensions (ASTRO 3D

Until now, we’ve struggled to get clear images of galaxies whose universe is about 2 billion years old. Since many stars had not yet formed, there were far fewer galaxies to focus on, making the task even more difficult.“Before JWST, we could only get pictures of really huge galaxies, most of which were in very dense galaxy clusters, making them difficult to study,” says Dr. Gupta. “With the technology available at the time, it was not possible to observe 95% of the galaxies used in this study. His Webb telescope revolutionized our research.

An image of a distant polar emission galaxy. Observed by the James Webb Space Telescope (left) and the Hubble Space Telescope (right). This comparison highlights the sharpness of the JWST images. Credit: ARC Center of Excellence for All Sky Astrophysics in 3 Dimensions (ASTRO 3D)

Checking previous assumptions
The discovery proved an earlier assumption, said fellow author Tran, associate director of ASTRO 3D and the Harvard University and Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. “We suspected that these extreme galaxies were signposts of intense interactions in the early universe, but only with JWST’s keen eye could we confirm our hunch.” she says.

The study is based on data obtained as part of the JWST Advanced Deep Extragacular Survey (JADES) survey, which uses deep infrared imaging and multi-object spectroscopy to explore the universe for the earliest galaxies. It paves the way for further insights. “What’s really interesting about this study is that we see similarities in emission lines between the first galaxies and galaxies that formed more recently and are easier to measure. It means we now have more ways to answer difficult questions about the early Universe,” said second author Ravi Jaiswal, PhD student at Curtin University/ICRAR and ASTRO 3D.

“This research is at the heart of the work of our Galaxy Evolution Programme. Understanding what earlier galaxies looked like will help us answer questions about the origins of the elements that make up all of our daily life on Earth. We can,” said Professor Emma Ryan-Weber, ASTRO 3D Director.

Reference: “MOSEL study: JWST reveals massive mergers/strong interactions in the early universe driving extreme emission lines” Anshu Gupta, Ravi Jaiswar, Vicente Rodriguez-Gomez, Ben Forrest, Kim -Vy Tran, Themiya Nanayakkara, Anishya Harshan, Elisabete Da Cunha, Glenn G. Kapsack, Michaela Harshman, of astrophysical journal.

DOI: 10.48550/arXiv.2311.02158

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Source: scitechdaily.com

The microbiome may be linked to memory loss in Alzheimer’s disease, new study finds

Posted on November 12, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

A groundbreaking study proves that Alzheimer’s disease symptoms can be induced in healthy animals through gut microbiome transmission, highlighting the gut-brain connection and suggesting early treatment and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. New avenues for personalized interventions have been opened.

Researchers have discovered a link between the gut microbiome and gut bacteria. Alzheimer’s disease disease.

For the first time, research has demonstrated that symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease can be transmitted to healthy young organisms through the gut microbiome, confirming its role in Alzheimer’s disease.

The research was led by Professor Yvonne Nolan from APC Microbiome Ireland, the world’s leading SFI-funded research center based at University College Cork (UCC), and Professor Yvonne Nolan from UCC’s Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience. Professor Sandrine Thure, King’s College London, and Dr. Annamaria Cattaneo, IRCCS Fatebenefratelli, Italy.

Scientists have discovered a link between Alzheimer’s disease and the gut microbiome. Pictured are Dr. Stephanie Grabracer and Professor Yvonne Nolan. Credit: UGC

This study confirms that the gut microbiome is emerging as an important research target for Alzheimer’s disease, given its sensitivity to lifestyle and environmental influences.

was announced on brainThis study shows that memory impairment in Alzheimer’s patients can be transferred to younger animals through gut microbiota transplantation.

Alzheimer’s disease, memory impairment, gut microbiome

Patients with Alzheimer’s disease had greater abundance of pro-inflammatory bacteria in their fecal samples, and these changes were directly correlated with the patients’ cognitive status.

Professor Yvonne Nolan said: “The memory test we investigated relies on the growth of new neurons in the hippocampal region of the brain. Animals with the gut bacteria of Alzheimer’s patients produced fewer new neurons and had impaired memory. I found out that it is true.”

“Alzheimer’s patients are typically diagnosed at or after the onset of cognitive symptoms, which may be too late, at least with current treatments. “Understanding the role of gut bacteria could pave the way for the development of new treatments and even personalized interventions,” Professor Nolan said.

Implications for treatment strategies and research collaborations

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia and is a general term for memory loss and other cognitive impairments severe enough to interfere with daily life. As the population ages, one in three people born today could develop Alzheimer’s disease. Funded by Science Foundation Ireland, scientists at UCC are leading the way in healthy brain aging by investigating how the gut microbiome responds to lifestyle influences such as diet and exercise. We are working to develop strategies to accelerate and advance the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.

Professor Sandrine Thuret, Professor of Neuroscience at King’s College London and one of the study’s senior authors, said: ‘Alzheimer’s disease is an insidious disease and there is still no effective treatment. , represents an important advance in the understanding of this disease, confirming that the composition of our gut microbiota is causally linked to the development of the disease. This collaboration will help future research in this field. We hope that this will lead to potential advances in therapeutic interventions.”

Professor. John F. Cryan, vice president of research and innovation at UCC, who also worked on the study, said: He conducts research into related diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, and with UCC he recognizes APC Microbiome Ireland as a leading institution in microbiome and brain health research. This research is consistent with our UCC Futures Framework and the University’s strategic plans in the areas of food, microbiome, health and, soon to be launched, Future Aging and Brain Sciences. “

Reference: “The microbiota of Alzheimer’s patients induces defects in cognition and hippocampal neurogenesis” Stephanie Grubrucker, Moira Marizzoni, Edina Silajzic, Nicola Lopizzo, Elisa Mombelli, Sarah Nicolas, Sebastian Dom-Hansen, Katia Scacellati, Davide Vito Moretti, Melissa Rosa, Carina Hoffman, John F. Cryan, Olivia F. O’Leary, Jane A. English, Aongus Lovell, Cora O’Neill, Sandrine. Ture, Annamaria Cattaneo, Yvonne M. Nolan, October 18, 2023; brain.
DOI: 10.1093/brain/awad303

The research was carried out by Dr Stephanie Grubrucker, a postdoctoral researcher in collaboration with Professor Nolan, in collaboration with postdoctoral colleagues Dr Edina Siladzic from King’s College London and Dr Moira Marizzoni from IRCCS Fatebenefratelli in Italy. It was carried out. UCC collaborators were Professor Cora O’Neill, Dr Olivia O’Leary, Dr Sarah Nicholas, Dr Jane English, Mr Sebastian Dohm Hansen and Dr Aongus Lovell.

Source: scitechdaily.com

View of Earth from a 6,000 km orbit through a 2 mm lens

Posted on November 12, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

Credit: University of Maribor

Equipped with a miniature camera, the TRISAT-R CubeSat captured unique images of the Earth from 6,000 km, contributing to ESA’s research on medium-Earth orbit and digital imaging effects.

Partially shadowed Earth in the distance as seen from orbit at an altitude of 6,000 km (3,700 miles). This unusual image was obtained using a very small camera. It measures just 2 mm (0.08 inches), about the size of the end of a 20 euro cent (or US nickel). This is part of a small-scale technology experiment carried out on his shoebox-sized TRISAT-R CubeSat at ESA.

Iztok Kramberger, TRISAT-R project manager at the University of Maribor, explains: “This tiny camera, less than 2 cubic millimeters in size, captured images of an object of about 1 trillion cubic kilometers – our beautiful Earth – from thousands of kilometers away.”

A CubeSat made from three standardized 10 cm (4 inch) boxes, Trisat R This is Slovenia’s second space mission, with Europe’s first Vega-C launch last year reaching the relatively harsh environment of medium-Earth orbit at an altitude of 6,000 km (3,700 miles). The mission’s orbit passes through the core of the ionosphere (the electrically active layer of Earth’s atmosphere) and the inner Van Allen radiation belt.

The side cover size of TRISAT-R CubeSat is 10×10 cm. In the center you can see the photodiode (the white part in the middle) and the camera (the small black dot next to the diode and directly above the image). In the center of the camera, you can see a 2 x 2 mm camera lens with a 120 degree field of view. The lens is made from clear, radiation-resistant borosilicate glass and is attached directly to the image sensor below, providing 320 x 320 pixels.Credit: University of Maribor

This will enable TRISAT-R to test a range of radiation detection payloads. In addition, the TRISAT-R team mounted his two miniature cameras with lenses made of clear borosilicate glass directly onto a 320×320 pixel image sensor to provide limited radiation resistance. Ta.

Dr. Cranberger added: “These highly miniaturized cameras are not intended to perform ground imagery, so the resulting images of the Earth are very low resolution. Also, the TRISAT-R satellite uses magnetorque for attitude control. accurate pointing is difficult to achieve.

“Our main interest was in capturing an example of the ‘black sun effect’, which is common in terrestrial digital image processing, where pixel oversaturation can cause very bright areas to appear dark. We were successful in these investigations and were fortunate to be able to obtain images like this one. ”

ESA supported the manufacturing, assembly and testing of TRISAT-R through the ‘Fly’ element of the Integrated Support Technology Program, opening up on-orbit demonstration opportunities for European companies.

Located in a unique and challenging orbit, TRISAT-R’s commissioning phase is scheduled to conclude later this month, including 16 months of successful on-orbit operations.

Source: scitechdaily.com

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