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Oct 5, 2023

V0610 Virgo is a low-mass contact binary, observations find

Posted by in categories: evolution, space

Astronomers from the Binary Systems of South and North (BSN) project have conducted photometric observations of a distant binary star known as V0610 Virgo. Results of the observation campaign, published Sept. 23 in a research paper on the pre-print server arXiv, indicate that V0610 Virgo is a low-mass contact binary system.

W Ursae Majoris-type, or W UMa-type binaries (EWs) are eclipsing binaries with a short orbital period (below one day) and continuous light variation during a cycle. They are also known as “contact binaries,” given that these systems are composed of two with similar temperature and luminosity, sharing a common envelope of material and are thus in contact with one another. In general, studies of contact binaries have the potential to reveal many details about the evolution of stars.

Located some 1,560 away from the Earth, V0610 Virgo is an EW with an apparent magnitude of 13.3 mag. Although not much is known about this system, previous observations have found that it has an orbital period of approximately eight hours.

Oct 5, 2023

Study identifies jet-stream pattern that locks in extreme winter cold, wet spells

Posted by in category: biotech/medical

Winter is coming—eventually. And while the Earth is warming, a new study suggests that the atmosphere is being pushed around in ways that cause long bouts of extreme winter cold or wet in some regions.

The study’s authors say they have identified giant meanders in the global jet stream that bring polar air southward, locking in frigid or wet conditions concurrently over much of North America and Europe, often for weeks at a time. Such weather waves, they say, have doubled in frequency since the 1960s. In just the last few years, they have killed hundreds of people and paralyzed energy and transport systems.

The new paper, titled “Recent Increase in a Recurrent Pan-Atlantic Wave Pattern Driving Concurrent Wintertime Extremes,” appears this week in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society.

Oct 5, 2023

Software can detect hidden and complex emotions in parents

Posted by in category: computing

Researchers have conducted trials using a software capable of detecting intricate details of emotions that remain hidden to the human eye.

The software, which uses an “artificial net” to map key features of the face, can evaluate the intensities of multiple different facial expressions simultaneously.

The University of Bristol and Manchester Metropolitan University team worked with Bristol’s Children of the 90s study participants to see how well could capture authentic human emotions amidst everyday family life. This included the use of videos taken at home, captured by headcams worn by babies during interactions with their .

Oct 5, 2023

New robot could help diagnose breast cancer at an early stage

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, health, robotics/AI

“We hope that the research can contribute to and complement the arsenal of techniques used to diagnose breast cancer and to generate a large amount of data associated with it that may be useful in trying to identify large-scale trends that could help diagnose breast cancer early,” George added.

The team next plans to combine CBE techniques learned from professionals with AI and fully equip IRIS with sensors to determine the effectiveness of the whole system in identifying potential cancer risks. The ultimate goal is to have the manipulator detect lumps more accurately and deeper than it is possible only by applying human touch.

This promising development could revolutionize how women monitor their breast health. With safe electronic CBEs located in easily accessible places like pharmacies and health centers, women could have access to accurate results and take a proactive approach to their health.

Oct 5, 2023

Actions for Wealth Inequality by the Millenium Project, Ranked

Posted by in categories: economics, futurism

When working at the Millenium Project, a global think tank that publishes reports surrounding global problems, I decided to improve the way reports were presented by ranking the actions provided by the organization to adress the problem. I focused on the 23 actions in global challenge 7 (Rich-poor gap) and created a system focusing on two aspects: feasibility and impact.

Assigning scores from 1–10 for each of these aspects made sense as an action needs to be both implemented and impactful for it to adress the problem. By researching to assign these scores and multiplying them, I could get an overall idea of where an action would compare to another one. Below is a graph summarizing my results, followed by the details behind each ranking.

1. Make higher education more easily available to all.

Feasibility: 7

Rates of higher education have doubled worldwide 19 to 38 percent over the last two decades, indicating that increased access is very possible. Although the process of making education truly available will take decades, governments clearly recognize the need for it and are taking steps towards achieving it, with education becoming a larger percent of GDP for most countries.

Impact: 8

Higher education has been known to increase earnings significantly, thereby reducing poverty. Additionally, education has been known to have various benefits towards poverty like reducing food insecurity and standards of health.


Oct 5, 2023

Non-Invasive Respiratory Support

Posted by in category: biotech/medical

Speaker: Robert Hyzy, MD

This lecture explores the use of non-invasive ventilation and high flow nasal cannula in patients with respiratory failure both as a means of avoiding endotracheal intubation and invasive mechanical ventilation as well as in preventing reintubation.

Oct 5, 2023

Reshaping Work: Adapting To The Future With Generative AI

Posted by in categories: futurism, robotics/AI

Today’s generative AI revolution poses similar challenges and opportunities as the Industrial Revolution.

Oct 5, 2023

Mentoring Keys to Grow the Disability Health Workforce

Posted by in category: health

A distinguished group of panelists engaging in a vibrant discussion about mentoring, careers, and more.

Speakers: Dr. Vijay Vasudevan, Dr. Monika Mitra, Dr. Michael McKee.

Oct 5, 2023

A Gene Variant That Promotes Inflammation is Carried by Millions

Posted by in category: genetics

WEHI researchers have identified a small change in the sequence of a particular gene that increases the likelihood of inflammation in carriers. | Genetics And Genomics.

Oct 4, 2023

Assisted by AI, a workforce of bees tracks pollution and boosts biodiversity

Posted by in categories: food, robotics/AI, sustainability

When Karl Wenner looks at his farm on Upper Klamath Lake in the mountains of southern Oregon, he sees a landscape in transition.

He and his partners converted part of their fields of barley into wetlands along the shore of the lake to filter runoff and protect the quality of the water that eventually flows back into the Klamath River, which empties into the Pacific on California’s coast. The project is part of a larger effort to clean up the river, remove dams and bring back salmon.

At Lakeside Farms, that transformation is being guided by a surprising source of information: the pollen collected by tens of thousands of honeybees. A Belgian start-up called BeeOdiversity enlisted Wenner, who is also a beekeeper, to help in a survey in the Klamath River Basin. Each colony, with 50,000 bees, harvests pollen over an area of more than two square miles, collecting as many as 4 billion tiny samples in a year. The resulting data creates a clear, accurate picture of the plant life and pollution present in the environment.