Tag Archives: ability

Did Ancient Giant Kangaroos Have the Ability to Jump Despite Their Size?

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Procoptodon prehistoric kangaroo

Procoptodon Goria: The 2-Meter Tall Kangaroo

Credit: Michael Long/Science Photo Library

New bone analysis suggests even the colossal kangaroos of ancient Australia might have been capable of jumping.

During the Pleistocene, some kangaroos weighed over twice as much as today’s species. One subset, the Stenurines, reached such enormous sizes that their ability to jump was doubted, leading researchers to believe they primarily walked on their hind legs.

“When discussing giant kangaroos, the stenurines are a frequent topic,” says Megan Jones from the University of Manchester, UK. “These unique kangaroos feature very short, box-shaped skulls and one toe on each foot. The largest male red kangaroos today average around 90 kilograms, while the biggest stenulin weighed nearly 250 kilograms.”

Among these giants is Procoptodon Goria, the most significant kangaroo species, standing approximately 2 meters tall and going extinct around 40,000 years ago.

Debate has persisted regarding the stress on their feet, prompting Jones and her team to analyze bone measurements from 67 macropod species—encompassing modern kangaroos, wallabies, potoroos, beetongs, rat kangaroos, and extinct giant kangaroos.

They measured leg bones (including the femur, tibia, and calcaneus) and gathered body weight data to estimate tendon sizes and their endurance under stress.

“The kangaroo’s Achilles tendon is on the brink of rupture but serves a vital role,” states Jones. “It enables kangaroos to store elastic energy for the next jump. Simply scaling today’s kangaroo would present challenges.”

Yet, ancient kangaroos weren’t merely massive. With shorter legs and wider calcaneus bones, their structure mitigated bending influences during hopping, allowing for larger tendons capable of withstanding the corresponding forces.

“This evidence indicates they weren’t mechanically restricted from jumping,” asserts Jones. “Whether they actually jumped, however, is a different question.”

While hopping likely wasn’t their primary locomotion mode, it might have been used sporadically for rapid movement, Jones explains.

This study reinforces the view that the iconic kangaroo hop is likely an adaptable feature within a surprisingly varied locomotor repertoire, according to Benjamin Kia from Uppsala University, Sweden. Over millions of years, this versatility has contributed to the ecological triumph of macropods.

The flexibility remains clear today; red kangaroos, often perceived as constant hoppers, can also utilize their tails as a fifth limb for walking. “Tree kangaroos exhibit diverse locomotion styles—they walk, jump, bounce, and can even move on two legs,” adds Jones.

Topics:

  • Evolution/
  • Animal Behavior

Source: www.newscientist.com

Google Unveils Quantum Computers’ Ability to Unlock Molecular Structures

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Google’s Quantum Computing Willow Chip

Google Quantum AI

Researchers at Google Quantum AI have leveraged Willow quantum computers to enhance the interpretation of data sourced from nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy—an essential research method within chemistry and biology. This significant advancement may open new horizons for the application of quantum computing in various molecular technologies.

While quantum computers have been most effectively demonstrated in cryptographic contexts, current devices face limitations in scale and error rates that hinder their competence in decryption tasks. However, they show promise in expediting the discovery of new drugs and materials, which align with the fundamentally quantum nature of many scientific procedures. Hartmut Neven and colleagues at Google Quantum AI have showcased one instance where quantum computers can mimic the complex interactions found in natural processes.

The investigation centered on a computational method known as quantum echo and its application to NMR, a technique utilized to extract detailed information regarding molecular structures.

At its core, the concept of quantum echoes is akin to the butterfly effect. This phenomenon illustrates how minor perturbations—like the flap of a butterfly’s wings—can trigger substantial changes in broader systems. The researchers exploited a quantum approach within a system made up of 103 qubits in Willow.

During the experiment, the team executed a specific sequence of operations to alter the quantum state of a qubit in a manageable way. They then selected one qubit to disrupt, acting as a “quantum butterfly,” and employed the identical sequence of operations, effectively reversing time. Finally, the researchers evaluated the quantum characteristics of the qubits to extract insights regarding the entire system.

In a basic sense, the NMR technique applied in the lab also hinges on minor disturbances; it nudges actual molecules using electromagnetic waves and examines the system’s reactions to ascertain atomic positions—similar to using a molecular ruler. If the operations on qubits can replicate this process, the mathematical scrutiny of the qubits can likewise be translated into molecular structural details. This series of quantum computations could potentially enable the examination of atoms that are relatively distant from one another, said team member Tom O’Brien. “We’re constructing longer molecular rulers.”

The researchers believe that a protocol akin to quantum echoes would require approximately 13,000 times longer on a conventional supercomputer. Their tests indicated that two distinct quantum systems could successfully perform a quantum echo and yield identical outcomes—a notable achievement given the inconsistencies faced in previous quantum algorithms supported by the team. O’Brien noted that enhancements in the quality of Willow’s hardware and reduced qubit error rates have contributed to this success.

Nonetheless, there remains ample opportunity for refinement. In their utilization of Willow and quantum echoes for two organic molecules, the researchers operated with a mere 15 qubits at most, yielding results comparable to traditional non-quantum methods. In essence, the team has not yet demonstrated a definitive practical edge for Willow over conventional systems. This current exhibition of quantum echo remains foundational and has not been subjected to formal peer review.

“Addressing molecular structure determination is crucial and pertinent,” states Keith Fratus from HQS Quantum Simulations, a German company focused on quantum algorithms. He emphasizes that bridging established techniques such as NMR with calculations executed by quantum computers represents a significant milestone, though the technology’s immediate utility might be confined to specialized research in biology.

Doris Sels, a professor at New York University, remarked that their team’s experiments involve larger quantum computers and more complex NMR protocols and molecules than prior models. “Quantum simulation is often highlighted as a promising application for quantum computers, yet there are surprisingly few examples with industrial relevance. I believe model inference of spectroscopic data like NMR could prove beneficial,” she added. “We’re not quite there, but initiatives like this inspire continued investigation into this issue.”

O’Brien expressed optimism that the application of quantum echo to NMR will become increasingly beneficial as they refine qubit performance. Fewer errors mean a greater capability to execute more operations simultaneously and accommodate larger molecular structures.

Meanwhile, the quest for optimal applications of quantum computers is ongoing. While the experimental implementation of quantum echoes on Willow is remarkable, the mathematical analysis it facilitates may not achieve widespread adoption, according to Kurt von Keyserlingk at King’s College London. Until NMR specialists pivot away from traditional methods cultivated over decades, he suggests that its primary allure will lie with theoretical physicists focused on fundamental quantum system research. Furthermore, this protocol may face competitive challenges from conventional computing methods, as von Keyserlingk has already pondered how traditional computing might rival this approach.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

New Insight: Cancer’s Ability to Encircle Nerves Could Pave the Way for Improved Treatments

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One of the most significant yet frequently overlooked success stories of this century is the increasing number of individuals who are surviving cancer.

Recent statistics affirm this; currently, half of all cancer patients in the UK survive for at least a decade, a notable improvement compared to five decades ago. The cancer mortality rate in the US has also decreased by 34% over two decades. In Australia, more than 70% of cancer patients survive for at least five years.

Several of these improvements can be attributed to reduced smoking rates and the establishment of national screening programs for various types of cancer. Additionally, advancements in treatment options have introduced groundbreaking therapies, especially in immunotherapy, encompassing monoclonal antibodies, checkpoint inhibitors, and cancer vaccines.

Medications that focus on the interaction between cancer and our neurons show promising results

However, not all is positive. Despite encouraging advances, the incidence of cancer continues to rise, and there are indications that improvements in survival rates are slowing. To witness the extraordinary progress made thus far, one may need to reevaluate cancer from an entirely different perspective.

Fortunately, an emerging field known as cancer neuroscience may provide that new perspective, as detailed in a recent cover story. The realization that nerves play a crucial role in cancer proliferation and dissemination introduces a novel approach to treatment. Drugs designed to target the interaction between cancer cells and our neurons are already showing promise in clinical trials and are being hailed as potential breakthroughs in cancer therapy.

If cancer neuroscience leads to the next major breakthrough, the resulting drugs could be surprisingly affordable and accessible. For instance, some widely used beta blockers are currently under research.

This development is particularly welcome in light of the fact that many newer therapies can become prohibitively expensive, and challenges still exist in ensuring equitable, swift, and affordable access to optimal cancer treatments.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Research Reveals AI’s Ability to Voluntarily Develop Human-Like Communication Skills

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Research indicates that artificial intelligence can organically develop social practices akin to humans.

The study, conducted in collaboration between the University of London and the City of St. George at the University of Copenhagen, proposes that large-scale language modeling (LLM) AI, like ChatGPT, can begin to adopt linguistic forms and societal norms when interacting in groups without external influence.

Ariel Flint Asherry, a doctoral researcher at Citi St. George and the study’s lead author, challenged the conventional perspective in AI research, asserting that AI is often perceived as solitary entities rather than social beings.

“Unlike most research that treats LLMs in isolation, genuine AI systems are increasingly intertwined, actively interacting,” says Ashery.

“We aimed to investigate whether these models could modify behaviors by shaping practices and forming societal components. The answer is affirmative; their collaborative actions exceed what they achieve individually.”

In this study, groups of individual LLM agents ranged from 24 to 100, where two agents were randomly paired and tasked with selecting a “name” from an optional pool of characters or strings.

When the agents selected the same name, they received a reward; if they chose differently, they faced punishment and were shown each other’s selections.


Although the agents were unaware of being part of a larger group and limited their memory to recent interactions, voluntary naming conventions emerged across the population without a predetermined solution, resembling the communicative norms of human culture.

Andrea Baroncelli, a professor of complexity science at City St. George’s and the senior author of the study, likened the dissemination of behavior to the emergence of new words and terms in our society.

“The agents don’t follow a leader,” he explained. “They actively coordinate, consistently attempting to collaborate in pairs, with each interaction being a one-on-one effort over labels without a comprehensive perspective.

“Consider the term ‘spam.’ No official definition was set, but persistent adjustment efforts led to its universal recognition as a label for unwanted emails.”

Furthermore, the research team identified naturally occurring collective biases that could not be traced back to individual agents.

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In the final experiment, a small cohort of AI agents successfully guided a larger group towards a novel naming convention.

This was highlighted as evidence of critical mass dynamics, suggesting that small but pivotal minorities can catalyze rapid behavioral changes in groups once a specific threshold is achieved, akin to phenomena observed in human societies.

Baroncelli remarked that the study “opens a new horizon for AI safety research, illustrating the profound impact of this new breed of agents who will begin to engage with us and collaboratively shape our future.”

He added: “The essence of ensuring coexistence with AI, rather than becoming subservient to it, lies not only in discussions but in negotiation, coordination, and shared actions, much like how we operate.”

Peer-reviewed research on emergent social practices within LLM populations and population bias is published in the journal Science Advances.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Chemistry expertise speeds up rocks’ ability to absorb CO2

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Olivine rock naturally reacts with carbon dioxide, but it’s a slow business

Renhour48 via Wikimedia/CC0 1.0 Universal

The new process will allow crushed rocks to capture carbon dioxide more quickly from the air by turbocharged with already widely adopted carbon removal techniques.

Natural silicate minerals such as basalt react with water and CO2 to form solid carbonic acid materials, a process known as reinforced lock weathering (ERW). Research suggests Spreading crushed silicate rocks on farmland increases the amount of carbon the soil can absorb, while improving farmer crop yields.

but Matthew Canan Stanford University in California believes that the carbon advantage of ERW is exaggerated as natural silicates do not reach the climate quickly enough to extract large amounts of carbon from the atmosphere. “The data is very clear. They don’t weather at a useful speed,” he says.

Conversion of silicates into more reactive minerals increases weathering rates and makes ERW a viable climate solution, he says. Canaan and his colleagues Yuxuan Chen Stanford University also developed a method for producing magnesium oxide and calcium silicate using a process inspired by cement production.

“When you take calcium sources and magnesium silicate and heat it, you can make calcium silicate and magnesium oxide,” says Canaan. “The core reaction is what is called ion exchange, and it exchanges magnesium for calcium.”

“The reason it’s strong is because calcium silicate is reactive and so is magnesium oxide,” he says. “I put one reactive thing in and two come out.” The ingredients get the weather thousands of times faster than standard silicates, says Canaan.

The ki used in this process must be heated to 1400°C for the reaction, and energy may be provided by natural gas. This means that this method generates significant carbon emissions, but Canaan can capture these at sources or use several reactive minerals to capture the emissions at the site. It suggests that booking can offset it.

When the emissions associated with material production are taken into consideration, one ton of reactive material removes about one ton of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Researchers can now create 15 kilograms of reactive rocks per day, but they hope to turn the idea into a commercial venture by selling the materials to farmers for use on farmland.

Rachel James The University of Southampton, UK, challenges Canaan’s claim that traditional ERWs do not work, pointing to many documented examples of intensified weathering tests. However, she welcomes attempts to accelerate the weathering rate of silicate.

“The climate crisis now requires action, so what you can do to speed up weathering rates is extremely beneficial,” she says. “Weathering is essentially a slow process and frankly, we want to see meaningful carbon dioxide removal on a timescale of 10 years or more than 50 years.”

However, she warns that the team is likely to face problems with expanding production and deployment. She says that using minerals in agricultural systems does not guarantee that all captured carbon is permanently trapped.

Phil Renforth At Heriot Watt University in Edinburgh, UK, the proposal is said to be a smart idea, but it takes more research to understand how it should be unfolded. “They essentially produce cement minerals, which may not be an ideal candidate mineral in addition to agricultural soils,” he says.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

AI enhances radiologists’ ability to detect breast cancer in real-world exams

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Radiologists can benefit from AI assistance

Amelie Benoist/BSIP/Universal Images Group via Getty

Artificial intelligence models can actually help detect cancer and reduce the burden on doctors, according to the largest study of its kind. Radiologists who chose to use AI were able to identify an additional 1 in 1,000 breast cancers.

Alexander Katalinic and his colleagues at the University of Lübeck in Germany worked with about 200 board-certified radiologists to test an AI trained to identify signs of breast cancer from mammograms. Radiologists examined 461,818 women at 12 breast cancer screening centers in Germany between July 2021 and February 2023, allowing each woman to choose whether or not to use AI. As a result, 260,739 patients were examined by AI and a radiologist, and the remaining 201,079 patients were examined by a radiologist only.

Those who chose to use AI were able to detect breast cancer at a rate of 6.7 per 1000 scans. This is 17.6% higher than the 5.7 cases per 1000 scans for people who chose not to use AI. Similarly, when women diagnosed with suspected cancer underwent a biopsy, women diagnosed with AI were 64.5% more likely to undergo a biopsy in which cancer cells were found. Among women for whom AI was not used, the rate was 59.2%.

The scale of improvement in breast cancer detection with AI is “very positive and exceeded our expectations,” Katalinic said in a statement. “We were able to demonstrate that AI significantly improves cancer detection rates in breast cancer screening.”

“The goal was to show noninferiority,” says Stefan Bank of Vara, an AI company also participating in the study. “If we can prove that AI is as good as radiologists, it becomes an interesting scenario where we can reduce the workload. We were surprised that we were able to show an advantage.”

Over-reliance on AI in healthcare is a concern for some, as it risks missing signs of symptoms and could lead to a two-tiered treatment system where those who can pay are afforded the luxury of human touch. are. Radiologists spent less time examining scans that the AI ​​had already suggested were “normal,” meaning cancer was unlikely to be present, and scans that the AI ​​could not examine took an average of 16 seconds to examine. In contrast, there is some evidence that radiologists spend less time performing exams. Not classified. But these latest discoveries have been welcomed by those who specialize in the safe implementation of AI in healthcare.

“This study provides further evidence of the benefits of AI in breast cancer screening and should be a further wake-up call for policymakers to accelerate the adoption of AI,” she said. Ben Glocker At Imperial College London. “The results confirm what we have seen time and time again: With the right integration strategy, the use of AI is safe and effective.”

He welcomes the study's ability to empower radiologists to make their own decisions about when to use AI, and hopes to see more testing of AI in a similar way. . “This cannot be easily evaluated in the lab or in simulations, and instead we need to learn from real-world experience,” Glocker says. “The technology is ready. We need policies to follow now.”

topic:

  • cancer /
  • artificial intelligence

Source: www.newscientist.com

Researchers suggest that AI tools may soon have the ability to control individuals’ online choices

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Researchers at the University of Cambridge have found that artificial intelligence (AI) tools have the ability to influence online viewers into making decisions, such as what they purchase and who they vote for. The researchers from Cambridge’s Leverhulme Center for the Future of Intelligence (LCFI) are exploring the concept of the “intention economy,” where AI assistants can understand, predict, and manipulate human intentions, selling this information to companies for profit.

According to the research, the intention economy is seen as a successor to the attention economy, where social media platforms attract users with advertising. The intention economy involves technology companies selling information about user motivations, from travel plans to political opinions, to the highest bidder.

Dr. Johnny Penn, a technology historian at LCFI, warns that unless regulated, the intention economy will turn human motivation into a new form of currency, leading to a “gold rush” for those who sell human intentions. The researchers emphasize the need to evaluate the impact of such markets on free and fair elections, freedom of the press, and fair market competition.

The study highlights the use of large-scale language models (LLMs) in AI tools like ChatGPT chatbots, which can predict and guide users based on behavioral and psychological data. Advertisers in the attention economy can buy access to user attention through real-time bidding on ad exchanges or future advertising space on billboards.

In the intention economy, LLMs work with brokered bidding to leverage user data for maximum efficiency in achieving objectives, such as selling movie tickets. Advertisers can create customized online ads using generative AI tools, with AI models driving conversations across various platforms.

The research suggests a future scenario where companies like meta may auction off users’ intentions for activities like booking restaurants and flights to advertisers. AI models will adapt their output based on user-generated data, providing highly personalized formats. Tech executives have discussed the potential of AI models to predict user intent and behavior, highlighting the importance of understanding user needs and desires.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Preparing for Cyberwar: UK’s Response to Russia’s Ability to Shut Off the Lights

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TThe Swedish government’s survival checklist for war would have seemed strange a few decades ago: a sleeping bag, spare battery, one week’s worth of cash, and preserved foods like rice and cereals.

While not explicitly named, Russia looms in the background, evoking memories of the Cold War. The pamphlet “In Case of Crisis or War” has been updated to address the current threat.

The guide now considers the possibility of an “armed attack against Sweden” along with “cyber attacks” and “disinformation campaigns.”

In addition to the traditional threats of nuclear conflict and armed invasion, Europe now faces the 21st-century enemy of cyberwar.

Richard Horne, from the National Cyber Security Center, warns of underestimated risks from countries like Russia and China.

Recent incidents have shown an increase in serious cyber attacks, prompting British ministers to highlight the potential impact of Russia’s cyber operations.

Various European countries, including Sweden, Norway, and Finland, are advising citizens to prepare for power outages caused by cyber attacks.

Experts stress the seriousness of Russia’s cyber threat and the need for organizations to plan for cyberattacks on key infrastructure.

Recent evidence points to Russian cyber interference in UK institutions, prompting calls for preparedness against cyber threats.

Amid rising cyber tensions, countries are emphasizing the importance of stockpiling essentials and strengthening cybersecurity measures.

As governments ramp up cybersecurity efforts, individuals are advised to use strong passwords and verify information sources.

The UK government recommends emergency preparedness and offers guidance on dealing with potential cyber threats.

Experts emphasize the resilience of Baltic and Scandinavian countries in the face of potential cyber and armed conflicts.

As the world faces various threats, the importance of preparedness, including stockpiling essential supplies, is underscored.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Wasps have a unique ability to store alcohol that surpasses any other animal on the planet.

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Oriental hornet (Vespa orientalis) may drink you under the table

Vladimir Kazachikov/Shutterstock

One species of wasp, which often eats alcohol-containing foods, can retain alcohol at levels that other known animals cannot tolerate without causing side effects.

‘This is crazy,’ says study author Sofia Bucebuti at Ben-Gurion University in the Negev, Israel.

Oriental wasp diet (vespa orientalis) consists of ripe fruit containing nectar and grapes. This fruit contains sugar, which is converted to ethanol through natural fermentation over time.

While ethanol is highly nutritious for animals, it is also highly intoxicating. Even animals that routinely eat fermented fruit, such as fruit flies and shrews, cannot have more than 4% ethanol in their diet, Bucebuti and his colleagues say.

But when Bucebuti’s team fed the hornets nothing for a week other than various sugar solutions containing varying amounts of ethanol from 1 to 80 percent, the hornets seemed unaffected. Neither their behavior nor their lifespans changed. What makes this particularly surprising is that a solution containing 80% ethanol contains four times the alcohol content of what occurs in nature.

“We initially experimented with only 20%. [ethanol] And we are already surprised,” say study authors Elan Levin At Tel Aviv University, Israel. The 80% ethanol figure is “even more incredible.”

Analysis of the genomes of several wasp species suggests that the insects have two to four copies of the gene that produces NADP+, which helps break down alcohol. Researchers think this may help explain why the oriental hornet, and perhaps other wasp species, can process such large amounts of alcohol.

These findings “remind us that we’re not the only ones who like alcohol.” james fry at the University of Rochester in New York. However, because data from other animal studies are difficult to compare, researchers are not convinced that wasps are the only organisms that can process such large amounts of alcohol.

Wasps’ love of alcohol may give them a competitive advantage when it comes to eating nutritious, highly fermented foods, researchers say. Irene Stefanini At the University of Turin, Italy. She believes that the wasp’s resistance is probably related to the mutualistic relationship between the animal and fermenting brewer’s yeast. budding yeastWhich her study They have been shown to live in the intestines of wasps, survive, and even mate. Perhaps the wasp helps the yeast move from fruit to fruit, and the yeast helps the wasp find energy-rich food.

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  • insect/
  • drugs and alcohol

Source: www.newscientist.com

Uncovering the Secret of Kestrels’ Still Hovering Ability

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Kestrels have been trained to fly in a wind tunnel, revealing how they can hover in turbulent air while keeping their heads almost completely still.

Two Chinese kestrels (Falco cenchroides) says it took three years Abdulgani Mohammed The study was carried out at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia. To make it even more challenging, each bird was fitted with 52 reflective markers to create the same 3D models that would be used in the computer-generated images.

Hovering is crucial for birds, allowing them to keep their heads completely still while they focus on prey on the ground. “It's a hunting behavior, and the bird's life depends on it,” Mohammed says. “They have an incredible sense of stability.”

In the wind tunnel, the researchers were able to create repeatable and measurable turbulent conditions that allowed them to study the specific movements and reactions of the kestrels. In total, the team recorded 58 hours of hovering over a period of five years.

The researchers found that the birds' hovering motion was extremely stable, with their heads never moving more than two millimeters in any direction.

“It's an amazing sight to see every time I see the birds hovering in the wind tunnel,” Mohammed says. “It's truly amazing to see how effortlessly and gracefully they hover.”

A Chinese kestrel flying in a wind tunnel

RMIT University

Unlike conventional aircraft with fixed wings and limited control over wing area, kestrels have transformable wings that can adjust their wing area almost instantly, which is key to them being able to remain stationary, Mohammed said.

The kestrels did this best by using clever wrist movements and subtle extensions and retractions of their elbows, and their tails also played a key role in providing stability, Mohammed said.

Based on their findings, the team is now building an unpowered drone prototype for testing in a wind tunnel.

“It's very difficult to accurately recreate all of the kestrel's anatomy, so we narrowed our findings down to the wrist and tail movements that contribute most to stability, and built a robotic version of the kestrel,” Mohammed says.

The artificial kestrel is currently being tested, with results expected later this year.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Carpenter ants possess the ability to perform life-saving amputation surgery on injured nestmates

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Carpenter Ants (Camponotus) – Jumping spiders, a diverse genus of large ants that inhabit many forested areas around the world, are able to selectively treat the injured limbs of their nestmates by cleaning or amputating the wounds.

Injured (marked in yellow) Camponotus floridanus. His wounds are being treated by his nestmates. Image credit: Frank others., doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.06.021.

For animals, open wounds pose a significant risk of infection and death. To reduce these risks, many animal species apply antibacterial compounds to wounds.

In 2023, researchers discovered another ant species, Megaponera analis, uses special glands to inject antibacterial compounds into wounds, reducing the chance of infection.

Florida carpenter ant (Camponotus floridanus) and other species of the same genus Camponotus. Notably, they lack such glands and therefore appear to use only mechanical means to treat their nestmates.

Dr. Eric Frank from the University of Würzburg and his colleagues discovered that this mechanical care involves one of two pathways.

The ants either clean the wound using only their mouthparts, or clean it and then amputate the leg completely.

When choosing which route to take, Ali appears to be assessing the type of injury and tailoring the best treatment approach based on information.

The study analyzed two types of leg injuries: femur lacerations and ankle-like tibial lacerations.

All femur injuries involved a nestmate first cleaning the cut and then biting off the entire leg, in contrast to the tibia injuries, which involved only mouth cleaning.

In both cases, the intervention resulted in a significant increase in survival of ants with experimentally infected wounds.

“With femur injuries, we always end up amputating the leg, and we have about a 90 to 95 percent success rate. And with tibia injuries, where we don’t amputate, we achieve about a 75 percent survival rate,” Dr. Frank said.

“This is in contrast to the survival rates of untreated infected femoral and tibial abrasions, which are less than 40 percent and 15 percent, respectively.”

The scientists hypothesized that preferred methods of wound care may be related to the risk of infection from the wound site.

Micro-CT scans of the femur confirmed that it was mostly composed of muscle tissue, suggesting that it played a functional role in pumping blood, called hemolymph, from the leg to the trunk.

When the femur is damaged, the muscles are damaged and the ability to circulate blood that may be contaminated with bacteria is reduced.

The tibia, on the other hand, has very little musculature and little contribution to blood circulation.

“With a tibia injury, the hemolymph flow is less disrupted, allowing bacteria to enter the body more quickly, whereas a femur injury slows down the rate at which blood circulates in the leg,” Dr Frank said.

“If tibial injury would hasten infection, one might expect that amputation of the entire leg would be the most appropriate option, but in fact the opposite has been observed.”

“It turns out that the speed at which the ants can sever the legs makes a difference.”

“An amputation surgery using ants takes at least 40 minutes to complete.”

“Experiments have demonstrated that in the case of tibial injuries, the ants cannot survive unless the leg is removed soon after infection.”

“This means that the ants cannot cut their legs quickly enough to prevent the spread of harmful bacteria, so by taking their time cleaning the wound in their shins they try to reduce a potentially fatal infection,” says Dr Laurent Keller, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Lausanne.

“The fact that ants can diagnose wounds, determine whether they are infected or sterile, and then treat them accordingly over time with other individuals — the only medical system that could match that would be the human medical system.”

Given the sophisticated nature of these behaviors, the next question to ask is how these ants are able to perform such precise care.

“This is all innate behaviour; ants’ behaviour changes as individuals age, but there is little evidence of learning,” Dr Keller said.

of Investigation result Published in the journal Current Biology.

_____

Eric T. Frank othersIn order to combat infections in the ant community, they amputate legs depending on the injury. Current BiologyPublished online July 2, 2024; doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.06.021

This article is based on an original release by Cell Press.

Source: www.sci.news

Research reveals that these ants possess the remarkable ability to perform life-saving emergency surgery on one another

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Florida carpenter ants are unique in their behavior, as they have been observed selectively cutting off the injured limbs of their nestmates. This unusual behavior was discovered in a study published in Current Biology, where researchers found that the ants use this “surgery” as a form of treatment for their injured companions. The ants were observed to carefully evaluate each injury and decide whether to clean the wound or amputate the leg entirely, based on the extent of the injury.

Lead author David Levine, a behavioural ecologist at the University of Würzburg, described this behavior as unique in the animal kingdom, as it involves one ant surgically treating another without the use of any tools. Unlike other ants that have specialized glands for wound treatment, Florida Carpenter ants rely solely on mechanical means to care for their injured nestmates.

The study found that the ants have a high success rate in treating femoral injuries, where amputation is required, compared to tibial injuries that can be treated with a simple mouthwash. This indicates that the ants have a sophisticated system for evaluating and treating wounds effectively to improve the chances of survival for the injured ants.

Credit: Bert Zielstra

The researchers believe that the ants’ ability to diagnose and treat wounds in such a precise manner is comparable to the human medical system. Further research is being conducted to understand if similar behavior exists in other ant species and to explore the ants’ tolerance to pain during these prolonged surgical procedures.

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Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Study shows ability to capture solar radiation at 1,922 degrees Fahrenheit

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As the world focuses on decarbonizing power and transportation, reducing heat emissions from industrial processes remains a challenge. Although using solar energy is an attractive alternative, current solar converters have poor performance and are expensive when process temperatures above 1,000 degrees Celsius (1,832 degrees Fahrenheit) are required. In a new study, scientists at ETH Zurich show that the heat-trapping effect caused by exposing common translucent materials (such as quartz or water) to solar radiation absorbs sunlight by suppressing radiation losses at high temperatures. We have shown how the viability of the photoreceiver can be increased. They demonstrated this effect experimentally at industrially relevant temperatures of 1,050 degrees Celsius (1,922 degrees Fahrenheit).

Casati other. The solar capture effect was experimentally demonstrated at temperatures as high as 1,050 degrees Celsius. They performed stagnation experiments under concentrated thermal radiation and achieved a steady-state temperature difference of about 600 degrees Celsius between the absorber and the outer surface by using quartz as a volumetric absorption medium.Image credit: Casati other., doi: 10.1016/j.device.2024.100399.

“To tackle climate change, we need to decarbonize energy in general,” said Dr. Emiliano Casati, a researcher at ETH Zurich.

“Electricity can only be thought of as energy, but in reality, about half of that energy is used as heat.”

Glass, steel, cement, and ceramics are at the heart of modern civilization, essential to the construction of everything from car engines to skyscrapers.

However, manufacturing these materials requires temperatures in excess of 1,000 degrees Celsius and relies heavily on the combustion of fossil fuels for heat. These industries account for approximately 25% of global energy consumption.

Researchers have been exploring clean energy alternatives using solar receivers that concentrate and store heat with thousands of sun-tracking mirrors.

However, this technology has difficulty transmitting solar energy efficiently at temperatures above 1,000 degrees Celsius.

To increase the efficiency of solar receivers, Dr. Casati and his colleagues turned to translucent materials such as quartz that can trap sunlight. This is a phenomenon called the thermal trap effect.

The researchers created a heat-trapping device by attaching synthetic quartz rods to opaque silicon disks as energy absorbers.

When the device was exposed to an energy flux equivalent to 136 solar rays, the absorber plate reached a temperature of 1,050 degrees Celsius, while the other end of the quartz rod remained at 600 degrees Celsius (1,112 degrees Fahrenheit).

“Previous studies have only been able to demonstrate heat-trapping effects up to 170 degrees Celsius (338 degrees Fahrenheit),” Dr. Casati said.

“Our research shows that solar heat capture works not only at low temperatures, but also at temperatures well above 1,000 degrees Celsius. This is very important to demonstrate its potential in real-world industrial applications. is.”

The scientists also simulated the heat-trapping efficiency of quartz under various conditions using a heat transfer model.

The model showed that the heat trap achieves the target temperature at a lower concentration with the same performance, or the same concentration and higher thermal efficiency.

For example, a state-of-the-art (unshielded) receiver has an efficiency of 40% at 1,200 degrees Celsius (2,192 degrees Fahrenheit) and a concentration of 500 suns.

A 300 mm quartz shielded receiver achieves 70% efficiency at the same temperature and concentration.

A concentration of at least 1,000 suns is required for equivalent performance with an unshielded receiver.

The authors are currently optimizing the heat trapping effect and investigating new applications of the method. So far, their research is promising.

By studying other materials, such as various fluids and gases, even higher temperatures could be reached.

They also noted that the ability of these translucent materials to absorb light and radiation is not limited to solar radiation.

“Energy issues are fundamental to the survival of our society,” Dr. Casati said.

“Solar energy is readily available and the technology already exists.”

“To truly accelerate industry adoption, we need to demonstrate the economic viability and benefits of this technology at scale.”

The team's results were published online today. journal device.

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Emiliano Casati other. Captures solar heat over 1,000℃. device, published online on May 15, 2024. doi: 10.1016/j.device.2024.100399

Source: www.sci.news

Injecting Neurons into Rats Gives Mice the Ability to Smell Cookies, Despite Their Lack of Olfactory Function.

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Mouse brain hippocampus (red) containing some rat cells

M. Kadish Imtiaz/Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CC BY-NC-ND)

Rat cells grown in the brains of mice without a sense of smell have enabled them to acquire the sense of smell. This is the first time that one species has experienced the world through the sensory neurons of another species.

When cells of one species multiply within the body of another species, the resulting organism is known as an interspecies chimera. These have previously been used to study specific tissues, such as mice containing cells of the human immune system, to study disease responses. However, creating chimeras of other tissues, such as neural tissue, is more complex.

Researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center previously bred mice with parts of rat brains transplanted into them. Now, another team of researchers has shown that this cross-species chimerism may confer the ability to smell in mice genetically modified to lack scent-sensing neurons.

christine baldwin The researchers at Columbia University in New York injected these engineered mouse embryos with rat stem cells. Once the embryos became adult mice, the researchers monitored neuronal activity. The researchers discovered that these animals have functional neural pathways for sensing odors, made up of both rat and mouse cells that can communicate directly with each other.

When researchers tested these mice's sense of smell by searching for hidden mini Oreo cookies, they found that the mice that received stem cell injections found the food more easily, as opposed to the same genetically modified mice. It turned out that it was possible. It wasn't a chimera.

“This is a huge opportunity for human health, allowing us to better understand how to create cell replacement therapies for humans,” Baldwin said. “We can also create models in mice and rats for diseases that affect long-lived organisms.”

The fact that rat cells were able to facilitate food exploration in mice, which normally don't have a sense of smell, is very impressive, he says. walter lowe at the University of Minnesota. “Now, it is not yet clear whether something similar to this can occur in even different species, but at least [this study] Shows what's happening in two relatively close species [in evolutionary terms]” he says.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

How did humans acquire the ability to communicate through speech?

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Scientists researching human speech believe that this ability likely evolved in the human brain during our evolution from primates, but the exact process remains unclear. These researchers can compare the human brain to that of other primates to study how it changed over time and gave rise to language.

Previous studies have proposed that groove-like structures in the front of the primate brain may aid humans in learning language. To explore if these and other brain changes are involved in language evolution, an international team of scientists recently compared the speech-related regions of human and primate brains. The primates they studied included baboons and chimpanzees.

Using high-resolution scans from sources like the National Chimpanzee Brain Resource and the Human Connectome Project database, the scientists analyzed specific areas of the human and primate brains to identify differences that may have contributed to the development of language.

They focused on brain regions controlling speech, facial expressions, and language, such as the prefrontal extent of the frontal skull (PFOP). They found that the PFOP is fully developed in humans, partially in chimpanzees, and absent in Old World monkeys.

Another notable difference in the human brain was the presence of a groove called the operculum, which was more pronounced on the left side. This suggests that the left hemisphere of the human brain has a larger PFOP compared to the right hemisphere, a feature not found in other primates.

By comparing chimpanzee brains, the researchers found that the size of the chimpanzee’s PFOP was consistent on both sides, indicating a recent full development of the PFOP in humans.

The scientists also examined the distance between two brain grooves, the circular sulcus and the operculum. Previous studies linked these grooves to communication sounds in chimpanzees, leading the researchers to investigate their role in human language development.

Based on their findings, the scientists suggested that the development of certain brain structures like the D-FO and V-FO grooves contributed to the emergence of human language. They emphasized the need for further research to understand how these structures function in the human brain.

In conclusion, changes in brain structures like the operculum and cerebral sulci likely play a role in human language acquisition, but more research is needed to fully understand this association. Future studies should explore how specific features like the PFOP function in the human brain to better comprehend their role in speech development.


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Source: sciworthy.com

Researchers have developed the ability to forecast which organs are most likely to fail earliest

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New research suggests that scientists may now be able to predict which organs will fail first, providing an opportunity for doctors to target aging organs earlier, before disease symptoms appear.

A study published in Nature found that one in five healthy adults over the age of 50 have at least one aging organ, increasing their risk of developing disease in that organ over the next 15 years. This discovery provides insight into the aging process of the body.

How does aging occur at different rates in the body?

We all have two ages: the chronological age that increases by one each year and the “biological age,” which is more flexible and changes based on health status. By studying biological signs within the body, scientists can determine a person’s biological age.

In a study of 5,678 people, researchers at Stanford Medicine determined the biological age of their organs by analyzing proteins in the blood, revealing that if a person’s organs are older than others of the same age, they are at a higher risk of disease.

Each organ in our body dies at a different rate, with certain proteins in the blood associated with specific organs. Scientists developed a machine learning algorithm using protein combinations to predict a person’s biological age and verified its accuracy on 4,000 people.

The study focused on the biological age of 11 important organs and revealed that people with rapidly aging organs are at a higher risk of disease and mortality. The research team hopes to replicate these findings in a larger group of people to detect which organs are aging at an accelerated rate, allowing for early treatment.

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Source: www.sciencefocus.com

AI trained on extensive life stories has the ability to forecast the likelihood of early mortality

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Data covering Denmark’s entire population was used to train an AI that predicts people’s life outcomes

Francis Joseph Dean/Dean Photography/Alamy Stock Photo

Artificial intelligence trained on personal data covering Denmark’s entire population can predict people’s likelihood of dying more accurately than existing models used in the insurance industry. Researchers behind the technology say it has the potential to have a positive impact on early prediction of social and health problems, but must be kept out of the hands of large corporations. There is.

Sune Lehmann Jorgensen The researchers used a rich Danish dataset covering the education, doctor and hospital visits, resulting diagnoses, income, and occupation of 6 million people from 2008 to 2020.

They converted this dataset into words that can be used to train large-scale language models, the same technology that powers AI apps like ChatGPT. These models work by looking at a set of words and statistically determining which word is most likely to come next based on a large number of examples. In a similar way, the researcher’s Life2vec model can look at the sequence of life events that form an individual’s history and determine what is most likely to happen next.

In the experiment, Life2vec was trained on all data except for the last four years of data, which was kept for testing. Researchers took data on a group of people aged 35 to 65, half of whom died between 2016 and 2020, and asked Life2vec to predict who lived and who died. This was 11% more accurate than existing AI models and life actuarial tables used in the financial industry to price life insurance policies.

The model was also able to predict personality test results for a portion of the population more accurately than AI models trained specifically to do the job.

Jorgensen believes the model has consumed enough data that it has a good chance of shedding light on a wide range of topics in health and society. This means it can be used to predict and detect health problems early, or by governments to reduce inequalities. But he stresses that it can also be used by companies in harmful ways.

“Obviously, our model should not be used by insurance companies, because the whole idea of ​​insurance is that if some unlucky person suffers some kind of incident, dies, loses their backpack, etc. ‘Because we share the lack of knowledge about what to do, we can share this burden to some extent,’ says Jorgensen.

But such technology already exists, he says. “Big tech companies that have large amounts of data about us are likely already using this information against us, and they are using it to make predictions about us. It is.”

Matthew Edwards Researchers from UK professional institutes the Institute of Actuaries and the Faculty of Actuaries say that while insurers are certainly interested in new forecasting techniques, the bulk of decision-making is based on a type of model called a generalized linear model. The research is done using AI, which he says is rudimentary compared to this research. .

“If you look at what insurance companies have been doing for years, decades, centuries, they’ve taken the data they have and tried to predict life expectancy from that,” Edwards said. “But we are deliberately conservative in adopting new methodologies, because when we are creating policies that are likely to be in place for the next 20 or 30 years, the last thing we want is to make any significant mistakes. . Everything can change, but slowly because no one wants to make mistakes.”

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Source: www.newscientist.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Regarding this research, paper in a diary science.

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

Source: www.sci.news