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A team of Chinese and US scientists developed the first     of chronic   slicks in the world’s   and found that more tha...
22/06/2022

A team of Chinese and US scientists developed the first of chronic slicks in the world’s and found that more than 90 percent come from human sources, significantly more than previously reported.
The results, published in Science, provide a major update from previous investigations that estimated that about half of the oil in the ocean came from human sources—including river runoff, ships, and oil and gas pipelines and platforms—and half from sources, such as seeps on the seafloor.
“Most of these oil slicks are microscopically thin, widely observed, and different from major oil spills,” said Chuanmin Hu, study co-author and professor at the University of South Florida’s College of Marine Science, where he runs an Optical Oceanography Laboratory. “They are a source of chronic pollution and have traditionally been hard to track because they are short-lived and move with the winds, tides, and currents.”
For this study, the team used and other techniques to examine more than a half million radar images collected from 2014 to 2019 to determine the location, extent, and probable sources of chronic oil pollution.
“Satellite imagery offers an efficient way to monitor oil pollution in the ocean, especially in areas that are difficult for humans to get to,” Hu said.
“What’s compelling about these results is just how frequently we detected these floating oil slicks—from small releases, from ships, from natural sources, from pipelines, and then also from areas where industry or populations are producing runoff that contains floating oil,” said Ian MacDonald, another co-author and professor in the Department of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Science at Florida State University.
Even a miniscule amount of oil can have a big impact on plankton that make up the base of the ocean food system. Larval fishes are particularly vulnerable. Other , such as whales and sea turtles, are harmed when they contact oil as they surface to breathe.
Researchers found most oil slicks occurred near the coast. About half were within 25 miles of the coast, and 90 percent were within 100 miles. The researchers found relatively fewer slicks near oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico compared to elsewhere on the globe, suggesting that regulation, enforcement, and compliance from oil platform operators in US waters reduces leakage.
Offshore oil production accounted for less than two percent of the chronic oiling, but 21 distinct high-density belts of oil slicks were found to coincide with shipping routes.
“A global picture can help focus regulation and enforcement to reduce oil pollution,” said Yongxue Liu, corresponding author of the study and professor at Nanjing University’s School of Geography and Ocean Science.

Source: University of South Florida

Using     (AI) for   has been the promise of     and politicians for years, but new research from the Georgia Institute ...
21/06/2022

Using (AI) for has been the promise of and politicians for years, but new research from the Georgia Institute of Technology argues only so much can be automated and shows the value of .
“All of the hard problems in AI really are judgment and data problems, and the interesting thing about that is when you start thinking about war, the hard problems are strategy and uncertainty, or what is well known as the fog of war,” said Jon Lindsay, an associate professor in the School of Cybersecurity & Privacy and the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs. “You need human sense-making and to make moral, ethical, and intellectual decisions in an incredibly confusing, fraught, scary situation.”
-making is based on four key components: data about a situation, interpretation of those data (or prediction), determining the best way to act in line with goals and values (or judgment), and action. Machine learning advancements have made predictions easier, which makes and even more valuable. Although AI can automate everything from commerce to transit, judgment is where humans must intervene, Lindsay and University of Toronto Professor Avi Goldfarb wrote in the paper, “Prediction and Judgment: Why Artificial Intelligence Increases the Importance of Humans in War,” published in International Security.
Many policy makers assume human could be replaced with automated systems, ideally making militaries less dependent on human labor and more effective on the battlefield. This is called the substitution of AI, but Lindsay and Goldfarb state that AI should not be seen as a substitute, but rather a complement to existing human strategy.
“Machines are good at prediction, but they depend on data and judgment, and the most difficult problems in war are information and ,” he said. “The conditions that make AI work in commerce are the conditions that are hardest to meet in a military environment because of its unpredictability.”
An example Lindsay and Goldfarb highlight is the Rio Tinto mining company, which uses -driving trucks to transport materials, reducing costs and risks to human drivers. There are abundant, predictable, and unbiased data traffic patterns and maps that require little human intervention unless there are road closures or obstacles.
War, however, usually lacks abundant unbiased data, and judgments about objectives and values are inherently controversial, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. The researchers argue AI would be best employed in bureaucratically stabilized environments on a task-by-task basis.
“All the excitement and the fear are about killer robots and lethal vehicles, but the worst case for military AI in practice is going to be the classically militaristic problems where you're really dependent on creativity and interpretation,” Lindsay said. “But what we should be looking at is personnel systems, administration, logistics, and repairs.”
There are also consequences to using AI for both the military and its adversaries, according to the researchers. If humans are the central element to deciding when to use AI in warfare, then military leadership structure and hierarchies could change based on the person in charge of designing and cleaning data systems and making policy decisions. This also means adversaries will aim to compromise both data and judgment since they would largely affect the trajectory of the war. Competing against AI may push adversaries to manipulate or disrupt data to make sound judgment even harder. In effect, human intervention will be even more necessary.
Yet this is just the start of the argument and .
“If AI is automating prediction, that's making judgment and data really important,” Lindsay said. “We’ve already automated a lot of military action with mechanized forces and precision , then we automated data collection with intelligence satellites and sensors, and now we're automating prediction with AI. So, when are we going to automate judgment, or are there components of judgment cannot be automated?”
Until then, though, and strategic decision making by humans continues to be the most important aspect of warfare.

Source: Georgia Institute of Technology

Researchers from the University of Tokyo pool knowledge of   and tissue culturing to create a controllable robotic finge...
20/06/2022

Researchers from the University of Tokyo pool knowledge of and tissue culturing to create a controllable robotic finger covered with living skin tissue. The robotic digit had living cells and supporting material grown on top of it for ideal shaping and strength. As the is soft and can even itself, so could be useful in applications that require a gentle touch but also robustness. The team aims to add other kinds of cells into future iterations, giving devices the ability to sense as we do.
Professor Shoji Takeuchi is a pioneer in the field of robots, the intersection of robotics and . Together with researchers from around the University of Tokyo, he explores things such as artificial muscles, synthetic odor receptors, lab-grown meat, and more. His most recent creation is both inspired by and aims to aid medical research on skin damage such as deep wounds and burns, as well as help advance .
“We have created a working robotic finger that articulates just as ours does, and is covered by a kind of artificial skin that can heal itself,” said Takeuchi. “Our skin model is a complex three-dimensional matrix that is grown in situ on the finger itself. It is not grown separately then cut to size and adhered to the device; our method provides a more complete covering and is more strongly anchored too.”
Three-dimensional skin models have been used for some time for cosmetic and drug research and testing, but this is the first time such materials have been used on a working robot. In this case, the synthetic skin is made from a lightweight collagen matrix known as a hydrogel, within which several kinds of living skin cells called fibroblasts and keratinocytes are grown. The skin is grown directly on the robotic component, which proved to be one of the more challenging aspects of this research, requiring specially engineered structures that can anchor the collagen matrix to them, but it was worth it for the aforementioned benefits.
“Our creation is not only soft like real skin but can repair itself if cut or damaged in some way. So we imagine it could be useful in industries where in situ repairability is important as are human-like qualities, such as dexterity and a light touch,” said Takeuchi. “In the future, we will develop more advanced versions by reproducing some of the organs found in skin, such as sensory cells, hair follicles, and sweat glands. Also, we would like to try to coat larger structures.”
The main long-term aim for this research is to open up new possibilities in advanced manufacturing industries. Having human-like manipulators could allow for the automation of things currently only achievable by highly skilled professionals. Other areas such as , , and regenerative could also benefit. This could potentially reduce the cost, time, and complexity of research in these areas and could even reduce the need for animal testing.

Source: University of Tokyo

Studying the unusual     of an Australian native   has enabled Flinders University researchers to obtain a clear underst...
18/06/2022

Studying the unusual of an Australian native has enabled Flinders University researchers to obtain a clear understanding about the earliest stages of social .
Evidence of how individuals that live a solitary lifestyle can transition to colonial life, involving sterile castes that seemingly defy Darwin’s natural selection theory, unlocks a key biological question about evolution, they say.
living in highly complex and organized societies, such as honeybees, termites, and ants, can explain how is maintained, but evidence of their early steps into sociality has been eroded over geological time scales.
To overcome this obstacle, the Flinders University team has studied Amphylaeus morosus, a unique Australian native bee that only recently crossed the threshold from individual reproduction to “selfless” behavior within a .
It is the only social species in its large and diverse family and therefore represents a very early stage in social evolution, which can be used to understand the transition from solitary to social living.
“The existence of life as we know it can be broadly separated into the major transitions that define changes in complexity,” says lead author, Flinders University PhD Lucas Hearn. “This includes the evolution of life from single-celled organisms or, the origin of sophisticated communication in the form of human language. The ramifications of this understanding are very far-reaching.”
The Australian native bee species Amphylaeus morosus lives in tall montane forests along the Australian Great Dividing Range, where it builds nests in tree-fern fronds. Its social nests are tiny, rarely containing more than two females, and females do not exhibit the kinds of queen-and-worker morphologies that are common in advanced eusocial species such as honeybees.
The study used to analyze how females in a colony contributed to reproduction, finding that each social colony has a single female who lays all the eggs and another related female who guards the nest but does not reproduce.
“This kind of extreme reproductive skew and high relatedness is very unexpected and challenges our theories about how social complexity evolves,” says senior author, Flinders University Associate Professor Michael Schwarz. “It seems that some species can quickly skip multiple rungs of the evolutionary ‘social ladder.’ This provides some of the first evidence that kin selection can promote worker sterility at the initial transition from solitary to social living.”

Source: Flinders University

    is considered a     due to its high hydrogen-to-carbon ratio and low carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. This has seen t...
17/06/2022

is considered a due to its high hydrogen-to-carbon ratio and low carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. This has seen the appetite for methane grow in recent years, as countries strive to meet ambitious targets.
Natural gas is a critical source of methane; it consists primarily of methane with just a small volume of (C2) and (C3) gas impurities. To meet industry standards, these impurities must be removed prior to the transportation and use of methane. Capturing them effectively is important, not only for the environment but because these hydrocarbon gases yield vital raw materials for other processes.
Due to differences in the various gases’ boiling points, the removal of C2 and C3 is typically performed using cryogenic distillation. However, that cryogenic process is energy- and cost-intensive. In fact, distillation-based separation procedures currently account for 10–15 percent of consumption. As a result, the hunt is on for cheaper and more environmentally friendly separation methods.
In a study published in the KeAi journal Green Chemical Engineering, researchers describe an innovative, copper-based metal-organic framework (Cu-M*F) they have developed to separate propane and ethane from methane. The M*F exhibits a high adsorption capacity and selectivity for C2–C3 hydrocarbons. And the adsorption isotherms at ambient conditions show a remarkable uptake (C3H8 of 134.0 cm3 g-1) and excellent selectivity of 204 and nine for C3H8/CH4 and C2H6/CH4.
Corresponding author Qing-Yuan Yang, from Xi’an Jiaotong University in China, explains: “Our Cu-M*F showed a significant difference in adsorption capacity for light hydrocarbons while displaying remarkable selectivity for C3H8 and C2H6 over CH4. More importantly, cycling breakthrough experiments have demonstrated that the Cu-M*F can efficiently separate ethane and propane from mixtures of C1/C2/C3 with optimal cycling performance.”
Speaking of , synthetic carbon allotropes are fascinating for their outstanding properties and potential applications. Scientists have devoted decades to synthesizing new types of carbon materials. However, a two-dimensional fullerene, which possesses a unique structure, has not been successfully synthesized until now.
Recently, a research group led by Professor Jian Zheng from the Institute of Chemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (ICCAS) developed a new interlayer bonding cleavage strategy to prepare a two-dimensional monolayer polymeric fullerene.
The researchers prepared magnesium intercalated C60 bulk crystals as the precursor to the exfoliation reaction. They then utilized a ligand-assisted cation exchange strategy to cleave the interlayer bonds into bulk crystals, which led to the bulk crystals being exfoliated into monolayer nanosheets.
The structure of monolayer polymeric C60 was explored by single crystal X-ray diffraction and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). In this monolayer polymeric C60, cluster cages of C60 are covalently bonded with each other in a plane, forming a regular topology that is distinct from that of conventional 2D materials.
Furthermore, the monolayer polymeric C60 exhibits an interesting in-plane anisotropic property and a moderate bandgap of 1.6 eV, which makes it a potential candidate for use in .
“The work is the first to synthesize a monolayer polymeric fullerene. It is of great significance, as it adds a new member to the carbon material family,” Zheng said. “This work has opened up a new research field in two-dimensional carbon material areas and the synthesis strategy could provide a unique perspective in exploring new carbon material.”

Source 1: KeAi Communications Co.
Source 2: Chinese Academy of Sciences Headquarters

Riot Games has released episode 5’s patch notes ahead of the update (on 22 June) to let players know what to expect, inc...
17/06/2022

Riot Games has released episode 5’s patch notes ahead of the update (on 22 June) to let players know what to expect, including a new map, Pearl. Here are all the details you need to know:
Pearl is Valorant’s first Omega Earth map that mixes technological marvels with tactical three-lane gameplay. In addition, the map is Portuguese-inspired and is underwater to signify climate change. The art lead says the map is deceptively simple. Pearl-only queue will be available for 2 weeks in unrated, then after that Pearl will enter Competitive.
Moreover, this patch will temporarily remove Split from the map pool in Unrated and Competitive queues. A new additional rank above Diamond, below Immortal, has also been added called “Ascendant.” The patch also corrects numerous bugs associated with maps, game systems, and agents such as Jett equipping a weapon during Tailwind.

KRAFTON, Inc., the company behind PUBG, unveiled the first images of ANA, the company’s     that is powered by  , riggin...
16/06/2022

KRAFTON, Inc., the company behind PUBG, unveiled the first images of ANA, the company’s that is powered by , rigging, and . ANA is designed to engage a global audience and help establish KRAFTON’s 3.0 ecosystem. ANA is the first virtual human-introduced by KRAFTON since its initial plan was revealed this past February through a technical demonstration.
KRAFTON has worked internally to create a virtual human that can be accepted and approved by audiences across the world. ANA was developed through the hyperrealism production technology of and ANA proudly displays a hyper-realistic appearance, blurring the lines between a and a real human. With human-like features, such as the baby hairs and fluff on her skin, ANA truly looks, unlike any other virtual human that currently exists through other . The highly-advanced face rigging technology delicately expresses the movement of the pupil, fine facial muscles and wrinkles, and enables the natural joint movement across the entire body. Additionally, deep learning technologies, such as advanced , help create an artificial intelligent voice for ANA so she can act and sing just like a real human.
“ANA is a hyper-realistic virtual human created by KRAFTON’s unparalleled technology. We expect her to attract the interest and popularity of Gen Z around the world,” said Josh Seokjin Shin, Head of the Creative Center of KRAFTON. “ANA will release an original music track and expand her scope of activity as an into various areas across entertainment and esports,” he added.
More information about ANA will be revealed later this year through images, videos, and her unique story arc.

Source: KRAFTON, Inc.

In a recent interview, Todd Howard has revealed that Fallout 5 is in Bethesda’s plans and will arrive only after Elder S...
16/06/2022

In a recent interview, Todd Howard has revealed that Fallout 5 is in Bethesda’s plans and will arrive only after Elder Scrolls 6 which was announced four years ago, and is rumored to release somewhere in 2024-2026.
Coming to the announced expansion, Bethesda has announced a brand Elder Scrolls adventure. Protect the Legacy of the Bretons and explore a never-before-seen part of Tamriel in The Elder Scrolls Online: High Isle. Travel to the Systres Archipelago, the idyllic home of the Breton noble elite, and uncover the dire schemes of the Ascendant Order. As part of the year-long Legacy of the Bretons adventure, this new Chapter allows you to dive deep into the history and culture of the proud Breton people and develops the epic story that will continue throughout the rest of the year.
In addition, Fallout 76 Expeditions is also coming this September, which is free for all Fallout 76 players and will let players go on adventures beyond the natural expanse of Fallout 76’s Appalachia, for the first time. Expeditions take players to the rusted ruins of post-nuclear Pittsburgh. Now known as The Pitt, the area is in conflict as the local Union is under siege from deadly Raiders, savage Trogs, and more. With Expeditions, players can venture out and take on missions to earn XP, loot, and even legendary items.
Meanwhile, Howard has also said that Starfield’s New Atlantis city is the biggest the studio has ever made including cities from Skyrim, Fallout, and Oblivion. Bethesda has also released new gameplay of the game, which has received mixed reactions.

If you need another reason to start the day drinking a   of  , a recent study by Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers has ...
15/06/2022

If you need another reason to start the day drinking a of , a recent study by Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers has revealed that consuming at least one cup of a day may reduce the risk of acute (AKI) when compared to those who do not drink coffee.
The findings, published in the journal Kidney International Reports, show that those who drank any quantity of coffee every day had a 15 percent lower risk of AKI, with the largest reductions observed in the group that drank two to three cups a day (a 22 percent–23 percent lower risk).
“We already know that drinking coffee on a regular basis has been associated with the prevention of chronic and degenerative including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and liver disease,” says study corresponding author Chirag Parikh, MD, Ph.D., director of the Division of Nephrology and professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. “We can now add a possible reduction in risk to the growing list of health benefits for caffeine.”
AKI, as described by the National Kidney Foundation, is a “sudden episode of kidney failure or damage that happens within a few hours or a few days.” This causes waste products to build up in the blood, making it hard for the kidneys to maintain the correct balance of fluids in the body.
AKI differ depending on the cause and may include: too little urine leaving the body; swelling in the legs and ankles, and around the eyes; fatigue; shortness of breath; confusion; nausea; chest pain; and in severe cases, seizures, or coma. The disorder is most commonly seen in hospitalized patients whose kidneys are affected by medical and surgical stress and complications.
Using data from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study, an ongoing survey of cardiovascular disease in four US communities, researchers assessed 14,207 adults recruited between 1987 and 1989 with a median age of 54. Participants were surveyed seven times over a 24-year period as to the number of 8-ounce cups of coffee they consumed per day: zero, one, two to three, or more than three. During the survey period, there were 1,694 cases of acute kidney injury recorded.
When accounting for demographic characteristics, socioeconomic status, lifestyle influences, and dietary factors, there was a 15 percent lower risk of AKI for participants who consumed any amount of coffee versus those who did not. When adjusting for additional comorbidities—such as blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), diabetes status, use of antihypertensive medication, and kidney function—individuals who drank coffee still had an 11 percent lower risk of developing AKI compared with those who did not.
“We suspect that the reason for coffee’s impact on AKI risk may be that either biologically active compounds combined with or just the caffeine itself improve perfusion and oxygen utilization within the kidneys,” says Parikh. “Good kidney function and tolerance to AKI—is dependent on a steady blood supply and oxygen.”
More studies are needed, Parikh says, to define the possible protective mechanisms of coffee consumption for kidneys, especially at the cellular level.
“Caffeine has been postulated to inhibit the production of molecules that cause chemical imbalances and the use of too much oxygen in the kidneys,” he explains. “Perhaps caffeine helps the kidneys maintain a more stable system.”
Parikh and his colleagues note that coffee additives such as milk, half-and-half, creamer, sugar, or sweeteners also could influence AKI risks and warrant further investigation. Additionally, the authors say that consumption of other types of caffeinated beverages, such as tea or soda, should be considered as a possible confounding factor.
Other researchers involved in this study include Emily Hu, Elizabeth Selvin, and Josef Coresh from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health; Morgan Grams from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine; Casey Rebholz from the Johns Hopkins Medicine and Bloomberg School of Public Health Kalie Tommerdahl and Peter Bjornstad from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and Lyn Steffen from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health.

Source: Johns Hopkins Medicine

Blizzard has announced that:Overwatch 2 is launching in early access with dynamic new PvP content releasing on Windows® ...
14/06/2022

Blizzard has announced that:
Overwatch 2 is launching in early access with dynamic new PvP content releasing on Windows® PC and Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, and Nintendo Switch™ consoles on October 4, kicking off the next chapter for Blizzard Entertainment’s acclaimed team-based shooter.
Featuring a new five-versus-five multiplayer format with cross-platform play and cross-platform progression, Overwatch 2’s PvP experience is designed to offer incredible and fresh competitive gameplay with a new, free-to-play model and major game updates such as new heroes, hero reworks, maps, modes, and premium cosmetics.
At launch, players will have an opportunity to get their hands on the newest tank hero to join the roster, the ruthless Australian-born ruler of Junkertown: the Junker Queen. More details on the Junker Queen will be revealed later this week in the official Livestream.
The Junker Queen is the second new hero revealed for Overwatch 2, and the franchise’s 34th hero overall, following Sojourn—a high-mobility and railgun-wielding former Overwatch captain with cybernetic capabilities. New and iconic international locations will also arrive in-game at launch, from the snowy New Queen Street in Toronto to the bustle of Midtown Manhattan. Overwatch 2 additionally introduces the new Push game mode, a symmetrical map type where teams battle to take control and advance a centrally located robot deeper into enemy territory than the opposing team.
"We can't wait to roll out the beginning of the Overwatch 2 experience on October 4 and introduce an exciting new competitive vision, featuring amazing new content and a reimagining of the iconic heroes, maps, and gameplay that made the original game so compelling," said Mike Ybarra, president of Blizzard Entertainment. "This is the beginning of an always-on and always-evolving era for the franchise, and a recommitment to serving players with frequent and substantial updates planned well into the future to keep Overwatch 2 fresh and fun for many years to come."

University of Queensland (UQ) scientists have cracked a problem that’s frustrated   and physicists for years, potentiall...
13/06/2022

University of Queensland (UQ) scientists have cracked a problem that’s frustrated and physicists for years, potentially leading to a new age of , , and .
Using , Professor Ben Powell from UQ’s School of Mathematics and Physics has discovered a “recipe” that allows to work at room temperature.
“Switches are materials that can shift between two or more states, such as on and off or zero and one, and are the basis of all digital technologies,” Powell said.
“This discovery paves the way for smaller and more powerful and -efficient technologies. You can expect batteries will last longer and computers to run faster.”
Until now, molecular switching has only been possible when the are extremely cold—at temperatures below minus 250 degrees centigrade.
“Engineering-wise, this is a big problem,” Powell said. “By following this detailed recipe, chemists should be able to make molecular switches work at room temperature. This will open the door to a bounty of technological , such as improving scans, which could lead to earlier detection of diseases like cancer. These materials can also be used for , carbon capture and storage, hydrogen fuel cells, and as actuators, which can turn into movement, which would be useful for . All of these applications need materials that can be switched at or above room temperature, which is why our discovery is so important. Using these materials will also reduce the burden on the environment because computer energy use will be cut, aiding the fight against climate change.”
UQ researchers will be collaborating with chemists at the University of Sydney and the University of New South Wales, to make new materials to test the new recipe.

Source: University of Queensland

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