“Oreos were my best friend as a kid,” he says brian hair. Once Hare wanted to hone his baseball pitching skills, his Labrador eagerly took on fielding duties. If he decided to explore the nearby forest, Oreo was always happy to take him. But there was one place where the boy and the dog always parted ways. “Oreo has never set foot in our house. Not once,” Hare says.
Nowadays, the front door is not closed for most dogs in high-income countries, and many dogs spend their days relaxing on the couch or watching TV. You would think they would be in dog heaven. But Hare, an evolutionary anthropologist at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, believes development has kept them in a doghouse. For thousands of years, he says, we have relied on dogs to protect our property and protect our families at night. Now, we have different expectations. Not only do you want your indoor dog to be friendly to strangers and rest quietly throughout the night, but also to be toilet trained, avoid chasing other animals, and avoid getting dirty paws on upholstery. You also need to do so. “This is an evolutionary mismatch,” Hare says.
Fortunately, this problem is solvable. Many recent studies have shown that selective breeding and careful training can help dogs adapt to indoor life. Meanwhile, Hare and his team “Puppy Kindergarten” Their lab delves into necessary behaviors and sheds new light on the milestones of cognitive development in dogs. Even better, researchers have devised a technique…
CThrongs of J-Pop enthusiasts gathered outside John Cain Arena on a scorching 36-degree Melbourne night, flaunting their iconic green wigs. However, the blistering heat wasn’t a concern for Hatsune Miku, the night’s star attraction who is digitally animated and doesn’t sweat. The 16-year-old ‘Vocaloid’ virtual pop sensation embarked on her inaugural Australian tour.
As followers are well-informed, Miku is the avatar of a 157 cm tall teenage girl with distinctive green pigtails. She is the representation of a collection of voice samples created using Yamaha’s Vocaloid speech synthesis technology by Krypton Future Media. Users input lyrics and melodies, which are then “sung” by the sampled audio (portrayed by actor Saki Fujita as Hatsune Miku). While some Vocaloid producers fine-tune their software for realism, others cherish its artificial essence.
Inside the arena, Miku came to life on an LED screen, igniting a controlled frenzy among the audience. Most attendees remained seated, focusing on synchronizing their battery-powered colored glow sticks. Miku, towering over with a mesmerizing presence, danced to a live band amid a massive lighting setup. Speaking in English with a Japanese accent, she engaged with the audience, creating an illusion of a live, spontaneous performance.
“Thank you all for making this night truly special,” she joyfully exclaimed. “I hope we had a great time.” The crowd erupted in cheers. “Until we meet again!” she signed off.
Vocaloid tracks have gained popularity in Japan, often appearing on mainstream pop charts and even reaching the top spots. Billboard introduced a chart exclusively for Vocaloid, Niconico. Since its debut in 2007, Miku’s first demo, 01_Ballad, has inspired over 100,000 fan-made songs, mostly from Japan’s otaku community, known for their fervent passion for characters over celebrities. Miku’s prominence led her to open for Lady Gaga, perform at Coachella, and be remixed by Pharrell Williams.
Other popular characters based on various voicebanks include Rin Kagamine and Luka Megurine, who made a surprise appearance at Miku’s Melbourne concert, delighting fans.
While many attendees in Melbourne cosplay as Miku, some fans create new Miku designs to embody specific traits or brands. For instance, “Bunningsmiku” or “Woolysmiku.” This quirky practice aligns with the highly commercialized subculture. A recent Live Nation survey found that Asian pop fans spend 138% more per ticket and 85% purchase merchandise.
“Vocaloid is essentially a gift to the fans. It’s the fans who shape its identity,” Olivia shared. “There’s a vibrant community surrounding it that unites everyone.”
For some fans, concerts serve as an opportunity for identity exploration. Tori, 19, dressed as the gender-swapped male Mikuo, embracing their transgender identity.
“I’m transgender, but I feel more comfortable.” [dressed this way]. “I love music, I love her as an instrument, and I find the technology amazing,” they said. “I feel like a lot of nerd people, transgender people, people who don’t feel like they fit in can relate to that.”
Initially unrelated to artificial intelligence, Vocaloid software paved the way for today’s generative AI models trained on artists’ voices, often without consent. Open source pop music is on the rise. Grimes announced that AI could render artists’ voices in exchange for royalties.
Despite her perpetual teen persona and cutting-edge tech, Miku has established herself as a legendary figure with timeless hits. Fans like Kong, 36, a devotee since 2008, hold a special place in their hearts for Miku and revel in nostalgic performances of classics like world is mine.
“Miku has a special place in my heart. Before I had a job, before I had a family, before I had children, I gave birth to Miku,'' Kong reminisced, under the glow of home lights. “She embodies what you need in life when you know her, when you meet her. The song is haunting. It transcends time.”
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.
Marine biologists identify new species of skate Leucolaja It lurks in the deep waters of the southwestern Indian Ocean.
brown long nose skates (Leucolaya longirostris), holotype of an adult male viewed from the dorsal side. Scale bar – 5 cm. Image credit: Weigman others., doi: 10.3390/biology13060405.
members of the genus Leucolaja A small to medium sized skate, usually with a short, obtuse snout.
To date, 14 valid species of this genus have been identified, primarily in the Atlantic Ocean, but also in the Indian Ocean.
“The 14 species currently described are Leucolaja It reaches a maximum size of 30-120 cm and is found in the Indian and Atlantic oceans. ” Dr Simon Weigman by the Leibniz Institute for Biodiversity Change Analysis and colleagues.
“Of these 12 species, Leucolaja Compagnoi and Leucolaja wallasei They also live outside the Atlantic Ocean, in continental waters in the southwestern Indian Ocean. ”
The newly discovered Leucolaja This species is the fourth known species of this genus from the western Indian Ocean.
named Leucolaya longirostris (common name is Brown Longnose Skate), apparently endemic to the Madagascar Ridge in Walters Shoals.
“In the 1970s and 1980s, researchers working on the Madagascar Ridge, a raised area of the ocean floor in the southwestern Indian Ocean, collected a total of eight rare skate specimens at depths of 750 to 1,050 meters.” biologists said.
“Despite the long snout, this specimen could definitely be assigned to the genus. Leucolaja This is due to the typical characteristics of claspers. ”
“It can be easily distinguished from all 14 congeners by its long, sharply pointed snout,” the researchers said.
“Furthermore, it appears to occur only on the Madagascar Ridge, away from the known distribution areas of all congeners, and its clasper morphology exhibits several unique aspects.”
brown long nose skates (Leucolaya longirostris), holotype of an adult male viewed from the ventral side. Scale bar – 5 cm. Image credit: Weigman others., doi: 10.3390/biology13060405.
Leucolaya longirostris These are medium-sized skates with a total length of 71.1 cm or more.
Males mature at about 60 cm. The largest known female is 70cm long. The smallest known specimen is a young female with a total length of 27.6 cm.
recognition of Leucolaya longirostris Provide new insights into morphological variation within the genus Leucolaja “This constitutes a very unusual and noteworthy addition to this genus Sketchi,” the researchers said.
“Nevertheless, the very limited distribution of this new species raises concerns about its ability to sustain fisheries, and it may be susceptible to capture in longline fisheries, particularly deep-sea trawl fisheries.”
“Although little information is available about fisheries operating in the region of the Madagascar Ridge, this deep-sea skate tolerates intensive fishing pressure, potentially due to its slow-life history characteristics and low productivity. You may not be able to.”
“Walter's Shoal has had good catches in the past and this pressure may return in the future,” they added.
“As a fishery targeting orange roughy (Hoplostessus atlanticus) and Kinmedai (Belix Decactylus) have typically used mesophoric trawls on the ocean floor, but new species may have benthic refugia. ”
“However, further research is needed to investigate its distribution, life history, population size and trends, and threats.”
“This is essential to improving data collection and research and making more effective conservation and management policy decisions.”
a paper Report findings published in journals biology.
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Simon Weigman others. 2024. Description of a noteworthy new type of skate shoe Leucolaja Malm of the southwestern Indian Ocean, 1877 (Radidae, Radidae): Introducing 3D modeling as an innovative tool for visualization of clasper characters. biology 13 (6): 405;doi: 10.3390/Biology 13060405
Black widow spider venom contains a cocktail of seven specific latrotoxins, but only one, alpha-latrotoxin, targets vertebrates, including humans. chemist of University of Munster They have now deciphered the structure of alpha-latrotoxin before and after membrane insertion at near atomic resolution.
Cryo-EM structures of α-latrotoxin in two different tetrameric states. Image credit: Klink others., doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-52635-5.
Latrotoxin is the main toxic component of the venom of black widow spiders (genus). latrodectus).
The toxins include five insecticidal toxins known as α-latrotoxin, α-, β-, γ-, δ-, and ε-latroinsect toxins, which are unique to vertebrates, and one toxin that is unique to crustaceans.
“Alpha-latrotoxin interferes with nervous system signal transmission,” said researcher Björn Klinck and colleagues at the University of Münster.
“As soon as alpha-latrotoxin binds to specific receptors at the synapse (contacts between nerve cells or between nerve cells and muscles), calcium ions flow uncontrollably into the presynaptic membrane of the signal-transmitting cell.”
“This triggers the release of neurotransmitters, which causes strong muscle contractions and spasms.”
“Although this process seems simple at first glance, there are very complex mechanisms behind it.”
To better understand the mechanism of calcium influx into the presynaptic membrane, the authors used high-performance cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) and molecular dynamics (MD) computer simulations.
They showed that alpha-latrotoxin undergoes significant changes when it binds to the receptor.
Some of the toxic molecules form stalks and penetrate the cell membrane like a syringe.
As a special feature, this stalk forms small pores in the membrane, which act as calcium channels.
MD simulations revealed that calcium ions can enter the cells through a selection gate on the side directly above the pore.
“This toxin mimics the function of calcium channels in the presynaptic membrane in a very complex way,” said Christos Gatsogiannis, a researcher at the University of Münster.
“Therefore, it is different in every way from any toxin known to date.”
“The new discovery opens up a wide range of potential applications.”
“Latrotoxin has considerable biotechnological potential, including the development of improved antidotes, treatments for paralysis, and new biopesticides.”
of study Published in a magazine nature communications.
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Clink BU others. 2024. Structural basis of α-latrotoxin transition to cation-selective pores. Nat Commune 15, 8551; doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-52635-5
Humpback whale (Megaptera novaegangliae) Whales build so-called “bubble nets” as tools to hunt, but researchers from the University of Hawaii and the Alaska Whale Foundation have found that these marine animals not only build bubble nets, but also manipulate these unique tools in a variety of ways to maximize food intake in their Alaskan feeding grounds. This novel study sheds light on a behavior critical to whale survival and makes a compelling case for including humpback whales among the rare animals that manufacture and use unique tools.
Although some animal species use tools to forage, only a few manufacture or modify tools. Humpback whales are one of these rare species, as they manufacture bubble net tools while foraging. Using animal tags and unmanned aerial system technology, Sabo others. Investigating the bubble nets made by solitary humpback whales (Megaptera novaegangliae) while feeding on krill in the Pacific Ocean, whale nets in southeast Alaska. They demonstrate that the nets are composed of internal tangential loops, suggesting that the whales actively control the number of loops, the size and depth of the net, and the horizontal spacing of adjacent bubbles. They argue that the whales adjust structural elements of the net to increase the amount of prey they catch in a single lunge by an average of seven-fold. Image credit: Szabo others., doi: 10.1098/rsos.240328.
“Many animals use tools to find food, but few actually make or modify their own tools,” says Lars Bader, a professor at the University of Hawaii.
“We discovered that solitary humpback whales in southeast Alaska build complex bubble webs to capture krill.”
“These whales expertly blow bubbles in patterns that form nets with internal loops, actively controlling details such as the number of loops, the size and depth of the net, and the spacing of the bubbles.”
“This method allows them to catch up to seven times as many prey in one feeding dive without expending any extra energy.”
“This impressive behaviour puts humpback whales in a rare group of animals that make and use their own tools to hunt.”
The marine mammals known as cetaceans include whales, dolphins and porpoises and are notoriously difficult to study.
Advances in research tools are making it easier to track and understand whale behaviour, and in this case, Professor Bader and his colleagues used specialised tags and drones to study the whale's movements from above and below the water.
“We attached non-invasive suction cup tags to whales in southeast Alaska and flew drones over humpback whales as they hunted alone in bubble nets to collect data on their underwater movements,” said Dr William Goff, also from the University of Hawaii.
“The tools are great, but it takes practice to hone them.”
“Whales are a difficult group to study and successful tracking with tags and drones requires skill and precision.”
“This little-studied foraging behavior is unique to humpback whales.”
“It's really amazing to see these animals in their natural habitat, doing things that only a handful of people get to see.”
“And then it's rewarding to be able to go back to the lab and look at the data and find out what they're doing underwater after they're out of sight.”
a paper The study was published in the journal Royal Society Open Science.
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A. Sabo others2024. Solitary humpback whales manufacture bubble nets as a tool to enhance prey intake. R. Soc. Open Science 11(8):240328;doi: 10.1098/rsos.240328
This article is based on a press release provided by the University of Hawaii.
Ice 0 is Ice Shape If it is possible to induce the formation of ice crystals in supercooled water, University of Tokyo.
Ice nucleation in water nanodroplets at 180 K (minus 93.15 degrees Celsius, minus 135.76 degrees Fahrenheit). Image courtesy of G. Sun & H. Tanaka, doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-50188-1.
“Ice crystallization, known as ice nucleation, usually occurs heterogeneously, in other words, on solid surfaces,” said University of Tokyo researchers Gan Song and Hajime Tanaka.
“This is typically expected to occur at the surface of a container of water, where the liquid and solid meet.”
“But our study shows that ice crystallization can also occur just below the water surface, in contact with the air.”
“Here, ice nucleates around a small precursor that has the same characteristic ring-like structure as ice-0.”
“Simulations show that under isothermal conditions, water droplets are likely to crystallize near the free surface,” Dr Sun added.
“This settles a long-standing debate about whether crystallization occurs more easily on the surface or in the interior.”
The precursor to ice-0 has a structure very similar to supercooled water, which allows water molecules to crystallize more easily without having to form directly into the structure of regular ice.
These form naturally as a result of the negative pressure effect caused by the surface tension of water.
When crystallization begins from these precursors, the ice-0-like structure rapidly rearranges into the more typical ice-I.
“Our discovery of the mechanism behind water surface crystallization is expected to make significant contributions to various fields, such as climate research and food science, where water crystallization plays an important role,” said Dr. Tanaka.
“Understanding ice in more detail and how it forms can provide valuable insights into many different fields of research.”
“This work may be particularly important in meteorology, because the formation of ice from precursors such as ice-0 may have a much more pronounced effect on tiny water droplets such as those found in clouds.”
“Understanding ice also has benefits in technology, from food science to air conditioning.”
Team paper Published online in the journal Nature Communications.
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G. Sun & H. Tanaka. 2024. Surface-induced water crystallization driven by precursors formed in a negative pressure region. Nat Community 15, 6083; doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-50188-1
This article is based on a press release from the University of Tokyo.
Paleontologists have identified a new genus and species of centrosaurine dinosaur from fossils discovered in the Judith River Formation in the Kennedy Coulee region of Montana, USA. Lociceratops rangiformisThe new species emerged at least 12 million years earlier than its better-known relatives. Triceratops It was the largest ceratopsid of its time.
Reconstruction Lociceratops rangiformis Be amazed by a crocodile in the 78-million-year-old swamps of northern Montana. Image by Andrej Achutin/Museum of Evolution, Maribo, Denmark.
Lociceratops rangiformis It lived in what is now Montana during the Cretaceous period, about 78 million years ago.
This species was about 6.7 metres (22 feet) long and weighed five tons, making it the largest dinosaur in the group called ceratopsians. Centrosaurinae It has never been found in North America before.
“In the dinosaur ecosystem of the ancient island continent Laramidia, ceratopsians were geographically widespread, morphologically diverse and possessed a great deal of variation in cranial ornamentation, including horns and a morphologically diverse parietal scaly frill,” said Professor Mark Loewen of the University of Utah and his colleagues.
“Two distinct lineages within the Ceratopsidae family diverged by at least 83 million years ago.”
“These are the chasmosaurinae, which have long snouts and long frills, and the centrosaurines, which have rounded snouts and relatively short frills.”
“Centrosaurinae represent an ecologically important and diverse lineage of ceratopsians that reached a peak in diversity during the Campanian, 83 to 70 million years ago.”
“Historically known from abundant fossil finds in Alberta, Canada, and Montana, USA, discoveries over the past two decades have rapidly expanded our understanding of this group, particularly its geographic and morphological range, and have also provided new insights into the ontogeny of centrosaurines.”
“Centrosaurinae were locally abundant in some areas of southern Alberta and northern Montana, but were previously rare or poorly known in other parts of Laramidia.”
Fossil skull Lociceratops rangiformisImage courtesy of the Evolution Museum, Maribo, Denmark.
Paleontologists have discovered the skeleton of a mature individual. Lociceratops rangiformis Quarrying at Loki Quarry in 2019 Judith River Formation.
“The Loki quarry, which yielded the new specimen, is located on private land in the Kennedy Coulee Badlands, north of the town of Rudyard in Hill County, northern Montana, USA,” the researchers said.
Lociceratops rangiformis It has the largest frill horns of any ceratopsid ever, and lacks the nasal horns characteristic of its genus.
“This new dinosaur pushes the boundaries of outlandishness in ceratopsian head ornaments, boasting the largest frill horns ever seen on a ceratopsian,” said paleontologist Joseph Sertich of Colorado State University.
“These skull ornaments provide another window into the diversity of horned dinosaurs and demonstrate that evolutionary selection for flashy displays contributed to the dazzling richness of Cretaceous ecosystems.”
“We think dinosaur horns were similar to the displays performed by birds, who used them for mate selection and species recognition.”
Lociceratops rangiformis It coexisted with three other centrosaurine dinosaurs (Wendiceratops pinhornensis, Albertaceratops nesmoiand Medusaceratops Loki) and Chasmosaurinae (Judiceratops tigris).
“The combination of five species is an unprecedented diversity and resembles the range of horned ungulates found on the plains of East Africa today,” Dr Sertich said.
“Unlike the wide-ranging large wild mammals, such as elk, that currently roam the American West, these ancient animals were geographically restricted.”
“discovery Lociceratops rangiformis “It provides evidence that these species evolved rapidly within a small area, a process sometimes seen in birds.”
“at that time Triceratops By the time ceratopsians emerged 12 million years later, regional differences had homogenized to just two species found across Canada and Mexico, probably as a response to a more homogenous climate.”
“This study shows that dinosaur diversity has been underestimated and presents the most complete ceratopsid family tree to date.”
“Lociceratops rangiformis “This study helps us understand that we're only just scratching the surface when it comes to the diversity and relationships of the ceratopsian family tree,” Prof Loewen said.
M.A. Rowen others. 2024. Lociceratops rangiformis A new genus and species (Ceratopsia: Centrosaurinae) from the Campanian Judith River Formation of Montana reveals the rapid regional dispersal and extreme endemism of centrosaurinae dinosaurs. Peer J 12: e17224; doi: 10.7717/peerj.17224
Promethium is extremely rare, with only about 0.5 kg occurring naturally in the Earth’s crust at any one time.
Conceptual art depicts the rare earth element promethium in a vial surrounded by organic ligands. Image courtesy of Jacqueline DeMink / Thomas Dyke / ORNL.
[DiscoveredattheClintonLaboratoryin1945promethium is a lanthanide element with the symbol Pm and atomic number 61.
Named after the mythical Titan who brought fire to mankind, the name symbolizes human endeavor.
Despite their use in medical research and long-life nuclear batteries, some of their properties remain poorly understood.
“The aim of this project was to explore and gain new knowledge about this extremely rare element,” he said. Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
Dr. Ivanov and his colleagues prepared a chemical complex of promethium, allowing them to characterize it in solution for the first time.
Thus, they uncovered the secrets of this element through a series of meticulous experiments.
“Promethium was the last lanthanide discovered and has been the most difficult to study because it has no stable isotopes,” said Dr. Ilya Popovs, also of Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
“There are thousands of papers on lanthanide chemistry without promethium. It was a glaring flaw in the science as a whole,” said Dr. Santa Giansone-Popova of Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
“Scientists could only guess at most of its properties. Now we can actually measure some of them.”
The researchers linked, or chelated, radioactive promethium with a special organic molecule called a diglycolamide ligand.
The researchers then used X-ray spectroscopy to determine the properties of the complex, including the lengths of the chemical bonds between promethium and neighboring atoms — a scientific first and a long-missing part of the periodic table of elements.
Unlike other rare earth elements, synthetic promethium has no stable isotopes and is therefore only available in very small quantities.
For their research, the scientists produced the isotope promethium-147, which has a half-life of 2.62 years, in sufficient quantity and purity to study its chemical properties.
Remarkably, they were the first to demonstrate the signature of lanthanide contraction in solution for the entire lanthanide series, including promethium, atomic number 61.
Lanthanide contraction is a phenomenon in which elements with atomic numbers 57 through 71 become smaller than expected.
As the atomic number of these lanthanides increases, the radius of their ions decreases.
This contraction results in unique chemical and electronic properties as the same electric charge is confined to a shrinking space.
The authors obtained a clear promethium signal, which allowed them to better define the shape of the trend across the series.
“It’s really amazing from a scientific point of view. When I got all the data I was blown away,” Dr Ivanov said.
“This contraction of chemical bonds accelerates along the atomic series, but slows down significantly from promethium onwards.”
“This is a major breakthrough in understanding the chemical bonding properties of these elements and their structural changes along the periodic table.”
“Among other things, this achievement will ease the difficult task of isolating these valuable elements,” said Dr. Jansonne Popova.
“Our team has been working for a long time to isolate the entire series of lanthanides, but promethium was the last puzzle piece. It’s been very challenging.”
“With today’s advanced technology, we can’t use all these lanthanides as a mixture, because we have to separate them first.”
“This is where shrinkage becomes really important. It basically allows you to separate them, which is still pretty difficult.”
“All of the technological marvels of our time contain these rare earth elements in some form,” Dr Popovs said.
Two of the researchers and several study participants with Laron syndrome
Jaime Guevara-Aguirre and Bartel Longo
People with rare genetic mutations that cause short stature and may even live longer are helping to understand the causes of aging.
People with unusual genetic mutations have some characteristics that protect them from heart disease, one of the most common causes of death, and this explains why their life expectancy exceeds that of the general population. You may have.
A signaling molecule called insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) has long been suspected to be involved in longevity. Several animals, including worms and mice, have been shown to live longer when their levels of this compound are artificially lowered, such as through genetic modification. Centenarians also have slightly lower IGF-1 levels,on average.
In most species, IGF-1 promotes growth when the animal is young and influences how cells use energy later in life. One idea is that there is a trade-off between animals investing energy in further growth and maintaining health.
“As you get older and your body starts to break down, you want to spend your energy on preventing your body from breaking down instead of spending it on growth,” he says. Nir Barzilai from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York was not involved in the new study.
The question of whether this trade-off also occurs in humans is through a rare genetic disease called Laron syndrome, first identified in a group of Ecuadorians whose ancestors left Spain during the Inquisition centuries ago. can be researched.
This mutation causes people to have defective growth hormone receptors, leading to short stature. People with Laron syndrome also have low levels of IGF-1 because the release of IGF-1 is usually triggered by growth hormone.
The researchers found that more people with the disease were surviving longer than expected compared to the general Ecuadorian population. 'We know they are more common in older people' walter longo at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.
In the latest study, Longo and his colleagues compared 24 people with Laron syndrome from Ecuador or the United States to 27 relatives who did not have the mutation. People with Laron syndrome appeared to be healthier on several heart-related measures, including blood pressure, blood sugar levels, and sensitivity to insulin, a hormone involved in controlling blood sugar levels.
People with this mutation also had higher levels of a compound called low-density lipoprotein. Low-density lipoproteins are also known as “bad cholesterol” because they are thought to make arteries more susceptible to plaque, which can lead to heart attacks. However, only 7 percent of Laron syndrome patients had such plaques, compared with 36 percent of their relatives.
The small number of people in the study means this difference may have arisen by chance, but it does suggest that their arteries appear less unhealthy than those of people without the mutation. suggests, Longo said.
This new finding supports the idea that somehow weakening the IGF-1 signaling pathway in later life can slow the aging process. Alexey Maklakov at the University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK. “It's a matter of timing,” he says. “At critical stages of growth and development, you definitely don't want to do that. But later in life, it can interfere with the function of these pathways.”
Enterobacter bugandensis It is mainly present in clinical specimens such as the human gastrointestinal tract.
Example workflow illustrating the process of comparative genomics analysis Enterobacter bugandensis, its prevalence and metabolic interactions within the microbial community, and assess its adaptation success within the ISS habitat. Image credit: Sengupta other., doi: 10.1186/s40168-024-01777-1.
The International Space Station (ISS) is a testament to humanity's achievements in space exploration.
Despite a highly controlled environment characterized by microgravity, increased carbon dioxide levels, and increased solar radiation, microorganisms occupy a unique niche.
These resident microbial bacteria play an important role in influencing the health and well-being of astronauts.
One particularly interesting microorganism is the Enterobacter bugandensis, a Gram-negative bacterium notorious for its multidrug resistance.
“Microorganisms in the built environment have a significant impact on the health of residents,” says the lead author Dr. Kastri Venkateswaran by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and colleagues.
“The ISS is a highly controlled built environment with extreme conditions such as microgravity, solar radiation, and elevated carbon dioxide levels, providing a unique location to study microbial survival and adaptation. .”
“Recent studies have demonstrated that microorganisms exposed to microgravity acquire antibiotic resistance and become more virulent through rapid mutation and horizontal gene transfer.”
“Prolonged space travel in microgravity can compromise astronauts' immune systems and increase their vulnerability to disease.”
“The microbial population on the ISS can influence the astronauts' microbiome and could be replenished by the arrival of new crew members.”
“Understanding microbial colonization, inheritance, and interactions is therefore critical to ensuring the health of astronauts and managing microbial risks in isolated and confined human habitats.”
In the new study, the authors analyzed 13 bacterial strains. Enterobacter bugandensis It is isolated from the ISS.
Their results show that under stress these strains mutated and became genetically and functionally distinct compared to their terrestrial counterparts.
These strains were able to persist in large numbers on the ISS for long periods of time.
They coexisted with multiple other microorganisms, and in some cases may have helped those microorganisms survive.
“Our comprehensive analysis reveals not only how these interactions shape microbial diversity, but also the factors that may contribute to the potential dominance and inheritance of microorganisms. Ta. Enterobacter bugandensis within the ISS environment,” the researchers said.
“The implications of these findings are twofold,” they added.
“First, we shed light on the behavior, adaptation, and evolution of microorganisms in extreme and isolated environments.”
“Second, it highlights the need for strong precautions to ensure the health and safety of astronauts by mitigating risks associated with potential pathogen threats.”
P. Sengupta other. 2024. Genomic, functional, and metabolic enrichment in multidrug-resistant patients. Enterobacter bugandensis Facilitate survival and succession on the International Space Station. microbiome 12, 62; doi: 10.1186/s40168-024-01777-1
In December 2023 and February 2024, NASA’s Juno spacecraft will fly extremely close to Jupiter’s volcanic moon Io, coming within about 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) of the surface and obtaining the first close-up images of the moon’s northern latitudes. Planetary scientists have now turned images collected during the flight into animations that show two of Io’s most dramatic features: its mountains and a nearly glassy rock formed by cooling lava called Loki Patera. It emphasized the smooth lake.
The JunoCam instrument aboard NASA’s Juno spacecraft imaged Io, the most geologically active object in the solar system, on February 3, 2024, from a distance of approximately 7,904 km (4,911 miles) . Image credit: NASA/SwRI/MSSS.
“There are only a few scattered volcanoes on the island of Io, and we captured some of them active,” said Juno principal investigator and Southwest Research Institute cosmologist. said Scott Bolton, director of science and engineering.
“We also obtained great close-ups and other data about a 200 km (127 mile) long lava lake called Loki Patera.”
“It shows in amazing detail how these crazy islands are embedded in the middle of a potential magma lake fringed with hot lava.”
“The specular reflections that our instruments record about the lake suggest that parts of Io’s surface are glass-smooth, reminiscent of the obsidian glass produced in volcanoes on Earth. “
Map generated using data collected by Juno microwave radiometer (MWR)’s instruments revealed that Io not only has a relatively smooth surface compared to Jupiter’s other Galilean moons, but also has poles that are colder than the mid-latitudes.
During Juno’s long-term mission, the spacecraft will fly closer to Jupiter’s north pole with each pass.
This change in direction allows the MWR instrument to improve the resolution of Jupiter’s polar cyclones.
This data allows us to compare multiple wavelengths at the poles and reveals that not all polar cyclones are created equal.
“Perhaps the most striking example of this difference is seen in the central cyclone at Jupiter’s north pole,” said Dr. Steve Levin, Juno project scientist and researcher at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. states.
“Although clearly visible in both infrared and visible light images, the microwave signature is not as strong as other nearby storms.”
“This indicates that its subsurface structure must be very different from other cyclones.”
“As the MWR team continues to collect more and better microwave data in every orbit, we expect to develop more detailed 3D maps of these interesting polar storms.”
Aureia lelehua It has unique teeth and is thought to have formed a cage around small fish. These teeth, weak apex, flexible neck, and smallest size among its relatives allow it to be an effective hunter in shallow water, according to a team of paleontologists from the University of Otago.
skull of Aureia lelehua; Notice the spread of the teeth and the unevenness of the face. Image credit: Meakin other., doi: 10.1080/03036758.2024.2314505.
The newly described dolphin species lived in the Oligocene oceans about 22 million years ago.
dubbing Aureia lelehua this species was approximately 2 meters (6.6 ft) long and was very likely echolocated.
It has a weak skull, flexible neck, and unique lateral tooth orientation, suggesting that it scanned shallow waters and captured small prey by placing them in cages in its teeth.
University of Otago palaeontologist Shane Meakin said: “This dolphin had widely spread teeth, which are thought to have hugged fish like a wide cage. Other ancient dolphins in the region typically “This is unusual because it used its teeth to attack its prey.”
“When you look at a dolphin's teeth, it's natural to think that the large teeth at the front and center of the mouth are its main tools for catching prey and stabbing or cutting down unfortunate fish.”
“This looked like how closely related dolphins hunt; Aureia lelehua They seem to be taking a completely different approach, using these teeth in a more delicate way. “
fossil of Aureia lelehua The skull, teeth, ear bones, lower jaw, vertebrae and ribs were discovered in a quarry in New Zealand's Hakataramea Valley.
“Between 22 million and 27 million years ago, New Zealand sank and went from 1% above sea level to completely submerged, during which time marine life flourished,” the paleontologists said.
“The contemporary deposits are representative of many of the cetacean species present in the collections of the University of Otago Museum of Geology.”
“One of them is Aureia lelehua It was taken from a limestone quarry in South Canterbury's Hataramea Valley, known as 'Howe's Quarry'. ”
discovery of Aureia lelehua This indicates that there were many dolphin fossils in one small area, and their shapes varied widely.
“This shows that seemingly similar animals can coexist if they explore different ecological niches,” Meakin said.
“We also show that early prehistoric dolphins used different foraging strategies to explore different niches, which is why fossil localities such as the Hataramea Valley yielded so many species. Extinct dolphins have been recovered.
of findings On February 21, 2024, Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand.
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Shane Meakin other. Aureia lelehuaa new platanistoid dolphin born in the Oligocene of New Zealand with a unique feeding method. Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand, published online on February 21, 2024. doi: 10.1080/03036758.2024.2314505
Duck penises are quite unusual. You may have come across information about Drake online or seen pictures of him. In that case, you probably know that Drake’s genitals are not shaped like a typical phallus but instead have a corkscrew shape.
So, why do ducks have such peculiar reproductive organs? How do they reproduce? And what led to their evolution? We posed these questions to Dr. Patricia Brennan, an evolutionary biologist and an expert on duck penises at Mount Holyoke College in the US. Keep reading to discover why Donald Duck might have been better off wearing pants instead of a sailor shirt.
“They appear somewhat like tentacles, being pale in color and corkscrew-shaped,” described Brennan.
In certain duck species, the penis undergoes growth and regression during the breeding season. The extent of growth depends on the surroundings. A study led by Brennan in 2017 revealed that Drake’s penis grew considerably longer in the presence of other males compared to those in pairs with females, with some reaching up to 18 cm. An example is the red duck species with a total length of only 39cm.
The lake duck, native to South America, boasts the largest bird penis worldwide and the longest relative to body size, with a specimen from Argentina measuring 42.5 cm in length, compared to the average body length when fully retracted of 36 to 46 cm. For reference, the average erect human penis measures 13 to 18 cm.
Per Guinness World Records, the lake duck’s penis is characterized by barbs at the base and a “soft, brush-like” tip.
A duck’s vagina also has a corkscrew shape, but it spirals in the opposite direction from the penis. “It’s like a maze,” Brennan remarked. “At the entrance, there are several blind pouches followed by a series of narrow spirals.”
How do ducks reproduce?
“Quickly!” exclaimed Brennan. “The male’s penis becomes erect, and since they ejaculate in a third of a second, a brief cloacal contact is needed for insemination.” (If you’re curious, you can watch the video here.) Drake delivers sperm into the female’s vagina near the ovaries.
The unusual genitalia of ducks is a result of a sexual competition. Forced copulation is common among ducks, so the male’s elongated, flexible penis enhances his chances of successfully impregnating the female, while the female’s counterclockwise vagina offers her some control.
“These intricate structures prevent the complete eversion of unwanted males’ penises, causing their sperm to be nearer to the cloaca entrance, making it easier for females to expel the sperm. Thus, Brennan’s research revealed that female ducks can inhibit fertilization from undesired males.
However, if a female desires to mate with a specific male, she can relax her cloacal muscles to facilitate easier access.
About our expert Dr. Patricia Brennan
Dr. Patricia Brennan is an assistant professor of biological sciences at Mount Holyoke College in the United States. She specializes in the evolution of genital morphology and the mechanisms driving reproductive diversification. She has authored numerous research papers on waterfowl reproductive organs.
GN-z11 is an extremely bright galaxy that existed just 420 million years ago, making it one of the oldest and most distant galaxies ever observed.
This two-part diagram shows evidence of a gaseous mass of helium in the halo surrounding galaxy GN-z11. The small box at the top right corner shows her GN-z11 in the galaxy. The box in the center shows a magnified image of the galaxy. The left-most box shows a map of helium gas in GN-z11's halo. This also includes clumps that are not visible in the infrared colors shown in the center panel. The spectrum in the bottom half of the graphic shows a distinct “fingerprint” of helium within the halo. The full spectrum shows no evidence of other elements, so the helium blob must be fairly pure, made from leftover hydrogen and helium gas from the Big Bang, with little contamination from heavier elements produced by stars. It suggests that there is no. Theory and simulations near particularly massive galaxies of these epochs predict that pockets of primordial gas must remain within the halo, and that these may collapse to form Population III clusters. doing. Image credit: NASA/ESA/CSA/Ralf Crawford, STScI.
GN-z11 is an early but moderately massive galaxy located in the constellation Ursa Major.
First discovered by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope in 2016, the galaxy is estimated to be just 420 million years old, or 3% of its current age.
GN-z11 is about 25 times smaller than the Milky Way, with only 1% of the mass of stars in our galaxy.
Remarkably, this galaxy is home to a supermassive black hole of approximately 1.6 million solar masses that is rapidly accreting matter.
using, near infrared spectrometer Astronomer Roberto Maiorino of the University of Cambridge and colleagues detected gaseous clumps of helium in the halo surrounding GN-z11 using the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope's (NIRSpec) instrument.
“The fact that we don't see anything but helium suggests that this mass must be fairly pure,” Maiorino said.
“This is what was predicted by theory and simulations near particularly massive galaxies of these times. There should be pockets of primordial gas left in the halo, and these collapse into population III. They may form star clusters.”
Finding never-before-seen “Population III stars” (first generation stars formed almost entirely of hydrogen and helium) is one of the most important goals of modern astrophysics.
These stars are expected to be very massive, very bright, and very hot.
Their expected characteristics are the presence of ionized helium and the absence of chemical elements heavier than helium.
The formation of the first stars and galaxies marked a fundamental change in the history of the universe, during which the universe went from a dark and relatively simple state to the highly structured and complex state we see today. It has evolved into an environment.
“In future Webb observations, we hope to probe GN-z11 more deeply and strengthen our case for Population III stars potentially forming within the halo,” the astronomers said.
Bose’s latest earbuds are a big departure from previous noise-canceling champions, as they’re designed to let outside sound in instead of blocking it out and sitting in your ears, making them more than just gadgets. It also resembles jewelry.
These are the latest evolution of Bose’s open audio technology, which uses small speakers to play music without blocking your ears, and was last seen in the excellent Frames audio glasses, which have since been discontinued.
The Ultra Open Earbuds cost a hefty £300 (€349/$299), joining the ranks of smaller open earbuds such as: £179 Shocks Open Fit Or the £149 Sony LinkBuds. However, Bose has two major advantages over his rivals. It has a great, full sound and an innovative fit that doesn’t get in the way of glasses or other headwear.
The look and fit of the Ultra Open is unlike any other earphone. The slit on the top projects noise canceling sound and reduces noise leakage from the earphones.
Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian
The battery cylinder is located behind the ear and connected via a flexible silicone spring to an L-shaped plastic speaker arm, which together hold the earbuds in place around the side of the ear.
The fit is very unique and takes a little practice to get it right, but once it’s in place it’s light and comfortable. I was sure it would fall if I ran, but no matter how much I sweated or how much I shook my head, it remained firmly in place.
The earbuds are charged via metal contacts on the underside of the battery.
Paleontologists have described a new species of extinct ramid shark Paleohypotodus Based on 17 fossilized teeth found in Alabama, USA.
Fossilized teeth are Paleohypotodus bizocoi.Image credit: Eversole other., doi: 10.3897/fr.27.e112800.
“Paleohypotodus “Sharks are an extinct genus of sheep-like sharks that range in time from the late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) to the late Eocene (Priabonian), with isolated teeth scattered over large areas around the world. It has been reported from different sources,” said Dr. June Ebersole. McWane Science Center Collections Director and his colleagues.
“There are three recognized species in this genus, including the Cretaceous. Palaeohypotodus bronniand Paleogene Paleohypotodus borgensis and Palaeohypotodus rutoti”
“These species have an upright to strongly hooked distal crown, a smooth cutting edge, one or more pairs of lateral cusps, and a unique combination of folds along the labial crown foot. It is characterized by sturdy teeth.
“Paleohypotodus Although known primarily by solitary teeth, at least one partially associated skeleton has been reported. ”
The newly identified species is Paleohypotodus bizocoilived about 65 million years ago (Paleocene epoch).
A collection of 17 teeth belonging to this species was recently discovered in the historical collections of the Alabama Geological Survey in Tuscaloosa.
“A few years ago, while looking through our historic fossil collection at the Alabama Geological Survey, we came across a small box containing a shark tooth collected in Wilcox County over 100 years ago,” Eversole said. the doctor said.
“We've been documenting fossilized remains of hundreds of fish species over the past decade, but it was puzzling that these teeth belonged to sharks we didn't recognize.”
Paleohypotodus bizocoi It was a major predator when the ocean was recovering from the mass extinction at the end of the Cretaceous.
“In Alabama, during the Paleocene, much of the southern half of the state was covered by shallow tropical to subtropical oceans,” says T. Lynn, a paleontologist and curator of fossil collections at the Alabama Geological Survey. Dr. Harrell Jr. says. .
“This era is less well studied, which makes the discovery of this new species of shark all the more important.”
“Shark discoveries like this one give us tremendous insight into how marine life recovers after large-scale extinction events. We also know that global events such as climate change are changing the way our oceans are today. We may also be able to predict how this will affect living organisms.”
As part of their study, the authors compared fossil teeth. Paleohypotodus bizocoi to sharks from a variety of modern sharks, including great whites and shortfin mako sharks.
“By studying the jaws and teeth of extant sharks, we were able to reconstruct the dentition of this ancient species and found that it has a tooth arrangement unlike any other living shark.” said Curator of History Dr. David Sisimuri. Carolina State Museum.
a paper A description of the discovery was published in a magazine fossil record.
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JA Eversole other. 2024.new species Paleohypotodus Glickman, 1964 (chondrichthyes, oligidae), collected from the Lower Paleocene (Danian) Porters Creek Formation, Wilcox County, Alabama, USA. fossil record 27 (1): 111-134; doi: 10.3897/fr.27.e112800
Sanphodiacaulis densifolia is an extinct tree species that existed in what is now New Brunswick, Canada, between 359 and 347 million years ago (Carboniferous period). The structure consisted of an unbranched 16 cm diameter trunk and compound leaves arranged in a 13 cm spiral and compressed to a vertical trunk length of 14 cm. The compound leaves in the upper 0.75 m of the trunk were over 1.75 m long, with preserved alternating secondary collaterals starting 0.5 m from the trunk. In the lower region of the trunk there were only persistent leaf bases. Sanphodiacaulis densifolia shows that the early Carboniferous vegetation was more complex than expected, indicating that this was an experimental, perhaps transitional, period of diverse growth structures.
Sanphodiacaulis densifolia. Image credit: Tim Stonecipher.
Trees first appeared during the Middle Devonian period (393 to 383 million years ago), but modern woody plants did not appear until about 10 million years later.
Evidence for dendritic structures (tree-like structures) is primarily based on mud moldings, sand moldings, or calcified stumps, or extensive root structures in fossilized soils.
Under unique preservation conditions, these early trees fossilized with roots and crown structures attached to their trunks.
“The method is Sanphodiacaulis densifolia “It has very long leaves around its slender trunk, and it's amazing how many leaves there are on such a short trunk,” said Dr. Robert Gastaldo, a paleontologist at Colby College. he said.
“The morphology of these 350-million-year-old trees looks like ferns or palms, even though palms arose 300 million years ago.”
“However, the functional leaves of ferns and palm trees are clustered at the top and are relatively few in number.”
“in contrast, Sanphodiacaulis densifolia More than 250 leaves have been preserved around the trunk, with each partially preserved leaf extending 1.75 meters from the trunk. ”
“We estimate that each leaf grew at least another meter before it finished.”
“This means that ‘bottlebrush’ had a dense canopy of leaves that were not woody and spread for at least 5.5 meters around a trunk that was only 16 cm in diameter. Amazing to say the least. .”
Sanphodiacaulis densifolia It has compound leaves arranged in a spiral.Image credit: Gastaldo other., doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.01.011.
Dr. Gastaldo and his colleagues examined five fossil specimens. Sanphodiacaulis densifolia.
The fossil was excavated from the Sanford Quarry, part of the Albert Formation in New Brunswick, Canada.
“These fossils were preserved when an earthquake destroyed trees and other vegetation along the edge of a rift lake,” Gastaldo said.
“The first fossil wood was unearthed from a quarry about seven years ago, but it contained only one partial sample.”
“It took several years to find four other specimens of the same plant in close spatial proximity.”
“One of the specimens reveals how the leaves separate from the top of the tree, which makes this tree quite unique.”
“This is one of the few preserved trunks with crown leaves still attached in a fossil record spanning more than 400 million years.”
Actual and reconstructed heights and biostratigraphic ranges of Pennsylvanian trees from the Middle Devonian. Image credit: Gastaldo et al., doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.01.011.
Sanphodiacaulis densifolia It probably relied on its unusual growth form to maximize the amount of light it could capture and reduce competition with other plants above ground.
This discovery provides important insights into the evolution of plants and arboreal growth, that is, plants that grow to the height of a tree, or at least 4.5 m, at maturity.
They also remind us that throughout the history of life on Earth, there have been trees that look like nothing we've ever seen before.
“We all have a mental concept of what a tree looks like, depending on where we live on the planet, and we all have a vision of something familiar,” Dr. Gastaldo said. Ta.
“The fossils we report are unique and represent some of the strangest growth forms in the history of life.”
“This is an evolutionary experiment during a period of forest plant biodiversity, and it appears to be a short-lived form.”
“The history of life on land consists of plants and animals that are different from those that live today,” he added.
“The evolutionary mechanisms that operated in the distant past allowed organisms to survive for long periods of time, but their shape, morphology, growth structure, and life history followed different trajectories and strategies.”
“Rare and unusual fossils like the New Brunswick tree are just a few examples of failed experiments that have colonized our planet.”
a paper The survey results were published in a magazine current biology.
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Robert A. Gastaldo other. A mysterious fossil plant with a three-dimensional tree-like growth structure from the earliest Carboniferous period in New Brunswick, Canada. current biology, published online on February 2, 2024. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.01.011
New AI has revealed unexpected discoveries. Surprisingly, your fingerprints aren’t as unique as previously thought.
Well, at least when compared to each other. It has long been believed that fingerprints on different fingers of the same person are unique. In other words, the fingerprint on your index finger bears little resemblance to the fingerprint on your thumb.
This belief that “intrapersonal fingerprints” are unique has had a major impact on forensic science. For example, if a criminal leaves different finger prints at different crime scenes, it is difficult for police to link them to one person.
But a new “deep contrast network” artificial intelligence built by scientists at Columbia University could leave a big mark on future crime scenes. The researchers found that they could make predictions after training on a database of 60,000 fingerprints. Two prints are from the same person with 77% accuracy.
This number would rise even more if the AI was fed other fingerprints from the same hand. Researchers say this breakthrough could improve current forensic efficiency by more than 10 times.
“Imagine how well this would work [AI] “If it’s trained on millions of fingerprints instead of thousands, it will work,” said Anib Ray, engineering senior at Columbia.
Dr. Hod Lipson“If this information tipped the balance, I imagine there would be a resurgence of cold cases and even innocent people could be exonerated,” said the author, who oversaw the study.
So what has AI discovered that forensic scientists have missed for decades? Unlike traditional fingerprint comparisons, AI detects “minutiae,” or similarities between the branches and ends of fingerprint ridges. was not focused on. Instead, they focused on the angles and curvature of the whorls and loops at the center of the fingerprint.
Fingerprints are examined by minutiae (L) and central ridge angle (R). – Photo credit: Columbia University.
“Many people think that AI can’t actually make new discoveries, it just regurgitates knowledge,” Lipson says. “However, this study shows that even very simple AI, based on very simple datasets that the research community has had lying around for years, provides insights that have eluded experts for decades. This is an example of how we can deliver.”
After all, the fingerprints on your fingers may not be that different from each other, but it is unlikely to be shared with others. In fact, the chances that two people share the same fingerprint are estimated to be less than 1 in 64 billion. This means that probably more than 1 million years two people with identical fingerprints happen to appear in Scotland Yard’s fingerprint database.
Identical twins also have unique patterns. This is because the bumps on your fingers are determined not only by your DNA, but also by how you developed as a fetus. The length of the umbilical cord, its position in the uterus, blood pressure, nutrition, and rate of finger growth all play a role.
Gorillas, chimpanzees, and koalas are some of the animals that have been found to have unique markings.
Some of the yeasts used to brew Guinness today are descendants of those used in 1903.
Artur Widak/NurPhoto SRL/Alamy
The yeast strain used to brew Guinness, Ireland's traditional stout, is genetically different from the yeast strains used to make other Irish beers.
Brewer's yeast (budding yeast) is an essential element in beer production. During fermentation, these microorganisms convert sugars from malt into alcohol and carbon dioxide. Using different strains of this yeast can result in different types of beer, such as stouts and lagers, and can also affect its flavor profile.
Daniel Kerruish A research team from food and drink company Diageo Ireland Unlimited has determined which yeasts are used to brew Guinness, based on records kept by the Guinness brewery since 1903 of the yeast strains used in its malty, bitter stout. investigated its evolution over many years.
The research team compared the genomes of 13 strains. S. cerevisiae There are up to 160 different strains, including those currently or historically used to brew Guinness, and six used by other Irish breweries.
Although Guinness yeast and other Irish brewer's yeasts belonged to the same lineage, Kerruish and his team discovered that they were genetically distinct enough that Guinness yeast belonged to a previously unidentified subpopulation. Did. Irish brewer's yeasts, other than Guinness, were more closely related to strains of British origin.
Guinness strains were also found to produce a particular balance of flavor compounds, including 4-vinylguaiacol, which produces a subtle clove-like aroma, and diacetyl, which imparts a buttery taste.
The research team also discovered that the two strains currently used in Guinness are descendants of the strain used to brew stout in 1903.
“The more we learn about Guinness yeast, the more we realize how unique and special it is,” says Keluisch. “Guinness is a great beer, so it probably won’t surprise you.”
“What's particularly unique and exciting about this study is that the company has very detailed records of past handling of the strains,” he says. brian gibson at the Technical University of Berlin, Germany. “This information could be used to further develop these yeasts and others used in industrial applications.”
This scientific study used satellite transmitters, population counts, and DNA analysis of tissue samples to describe the special Kangi ringed seal in the Ilulissat Icefjord. Here, a satellite transmitter is attached to the seal’s back.Credit: Pinngortitaleriffik – Greenland Institute of Nature Research
Local hunters in the Icefjord near Ilulissat are familiar with a special type of ringed seal known as the Kangia seal. Kangia seals vary in size and appearance, being significantly larger than the common Arctic ringed seal, and with markedly different fur colors and patterns. Recent scientific research has revealed that this distinctive seal has been genetically separated from Arctic seals over a long period of over 100,000 years.
Exploring the natural wonders of the Arctic can be difficult. Extreme weather and vast distances often hinder researchers’ quest to uncover nature’s mysteries.
However, a research project led by Greenlandic and Danish researchers has succeeded in describing a new species of ringed seal that lives in an ice fjord near Ilulissat in West Greenland. A unique natural area on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The results were recently published in a prestigious scientific journal. molecular ecology.
Kangia ringed seals are larger than the typical Arctic ringed seal, and their fur is a different color and has more distinctive markings.Credit: Pinngortitaleriffik – Greenland Institute of Nature Research
small population
For years, researchers worked with local hunters to trap seals in nets and attach small satellite transmitters to their backs. As the seals flew, satellite transmitters sent messages about the seal’s location.
“We found that the Kangia seals mainly stayed within the ice fjords. We were able to count the seals from the plane, so we estimated that there was only about one seal. There are 3,000 special Kangi ringed seals,” said Akual Rosing Asvid, a senior researcher at the Greenland Institute for Nature Research Pingoltitalerifik and one of the researchers who supported the study. .
Color and pattern of the fur of the Kangia ringed seal (left) and a typical Arctic ringed seal (right).Credit: Pinngortitaleriffik – Greenland Institute of Nature Research
Their small population is very unusual compared to the typical Arctic ringed seal, which is huge and often travels thousands of kilometers around the North Pole in search of food.
isolated for thousands of years
The researchers also took small tissue samples from the captive seals. The samples were sent for genetic analysis to determine the seal’s identity. DNA The results revealed that Kangia ringed seals are genetically distinct from typical Arctic ringed seals.
Kangia ringed seals live in the Ilulissat Icefjord, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its spectacular and unique nature.Credit: Pinngortitaleriffik – Greenland Institute of Nature Research
However, where and how the Kangia ringed seal became isolated from other Arctic ringed seals and why it acquired new special biological characteristics remains a mystery.
Perhaps other arctic fjords also have special seals
The study highlights that there is still much we don’t know about the biodiversity of the Arctic and its potential to adapt to climate change and human activities.
“There are many other fjords in the Arctic that have not yet been studied in detail, and ringed seals may also carry new genetic mutations in these areas,” said Rune Dietz, professor at Aarhus University’s School of Ecological Sciences. Point out. he participated in the research.
Reference: “Evolutionarily distinct ringed seals of the Ilulissat Icefjord” Aqqalu Rosing-Asvid, Ari Löytynoja, Paolo Momigliano, Rikke Guldborg Hansen, Camilla Hjorth Scharff-Olsen, Mia Valtonen, Juhana Kammonen, Rune Dietz, Frank Farsø Rigét, Steve By H Ferguson, Christian Leidersen, Kit M. Kovacs, David M. Holland, Jukka Jarnvall, Petri Auvinen, Morten Tange Olsen, October 19, 2023. molecular ecology.
Researchers have discovered a unique case in a Colombian family where a woman with a genetic predisposition to Alzheimer’s disease remained cognitively healthy due to a rare APOE gene mutation, the Christchurch mutation. This mutation disrupts the typical progression of Alzheimer’s disease and suggests new prevention strategies. Dementia may be prevented by breaking the link between early and late stages of the disease.
The disease has plagued one large Colombian family for generations, killing half of them in their prime years. But one member of the family avoided what seemed like fate. She remained cognitively healthy well into her 70s, even though her relatives inherited her genetic defect that caused her to develop dementia in her 40s.
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis now think they know why. Previous research had reported that the woman was in possession of two copies of the rare variant, unlike her relatives. Apoe A gene known as the Christchurch mutation.
In this study, researchers used genetically modified mice to show that the Christchurch mutation was associated with early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, when a protein called amyloid beta accumulates in the brain, and another protein called tau, which causes cognitive impairment. begins to decline. So the women remained mentally alert for decades, even though their brains were filled with large amounts of amyloid.
“All protective factors are very interesting because they give us new clues about how the disease works,” said lead authors Barbara Barton, Ph.D., and Reuben M. said David M. Holzman, M.D., Morris III Professor Emeritus of Neurology.
Understanding the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, the researches found thatthe main difference was the level of activity of microglia, the brain’s waste-processing cells. Microglia tend to cluster around amyloid plaques. In mice with Apoe The Christchurch mutation activated microglia surrounding amyloid plaques, making them highly efficient at consuming and processing tau aggregates.
Reference: “APOE3ch alters microglial responses and suppresses Aβ-induced tau dissemination and spread” Yun Chen, Sihui Song, Samira Parhizkar, Jennifer Lord, Yiyang Zhu, Michael R. Strickland, Chanung Wang, Jiyu Park, G By Travis Tabor, Hong Jiang, Kevin Lee, Albert A. Davis, Carla M. Huede, Marco Colonna, Jason D. Ulrich, David M. Holtzman, December 11, 2023. cell.DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.11.029
Guests enjoy turkey, peanut and chocolate main courses and test ‘flavor bridging’ theory
david stock
Some foods are made for each other. From the comforting combination of mozzarella, tomato, and marjoram on pizza to the enchanting trinity of ginger, garlic, and soy sauce that makes East Asian cuisine so natural, some combinations are so natural that you could live without them. It’s so hard to imagine. But for centuries, gourmets and scholars have been puzzled as to why some foods go together so well.
In 1992, with chef Heston Blumenthal. Francois Benge Let’s go to the laboratory to solve the mystery of this dish. They came up with the idea that foods that taste good together also share many volatile flavor compounds, chemicals that carry aromas that rise to the back of the nose and create flavor perception on the tongue. Their findings were validated in 2011 with the following study: Analyzed 56,498 recipes from various world cuisines.
Yongyeol Ang and his colleagues at Indiana University used that data to build a network model, a complex map that shows the relationships between all the ingredients in a recipe and the flavor compounds they share. This confirms that North American and Western European recipes tend to combine ingredients that share flavor components.
The “Flavor Pairing Theory” has revolutionized the world of cooking. food manufacturer Investing resources to apply that idea to a product, startup companies Leverage open source data on flavor compounds to predict the next big…
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