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Japan is home to a wide variety of train stations, from tiny countryside sheds to sprawling urban complexes, stations with their own wineries and ones with giant ancient relics whose eyes glow. It’s gotten to the point where it’s really hard to be “the first” anything when it comes to train stations, but JR West has managed it with the first-ever 3D-printed station building.

This new structure is scheduled to replace the current one at Hatsushima Station on the JR Kisei Main Line in Arida City, Wakayama Prefecture. Like many relatively rural stations in Japan, the wooden structures are aging and in need of replacements.

The new building will be roughly the same size, covering 10 square meters (108 square feet) and made from a more durable reinforced concrete. The foundation and exterior of the building will be printed off-site by Osaka-based 3D-printer housing company Serendix.

Since ChatGPT burst onto the scene in late 2022, generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) models have been vying for the lead — with the U.S. and China hotbeds for the technology.

GenAI tools are able to create images, videos, or written works as well as answer questions or tend to online tasks based on simple prompts.

These AI assistants stand out for their popularity and sophistication.

Japanese tech startup Sakana AI has written the first AI-generated peer-reviewed scientific paper.

Its AI program, AI Scientist-v2, successfully passed a peer review process, and the paper was accepted at a workshop during the International Conference on Learning Representations (ICLR), a major event in AI.

The AI-generated paper underwent the same review process as human submissions, with Sakana AI collaborating with the University of British Columbia and the University of Oxford.

The Smart 3D Printing Research Team at KERI, led by Dr. Seol Seung-kwon has developed the world’s first technology for printing high-resolution 3D microstructures using MXene, a material known as the dream material.

The work is published in the journal Small.

MXene, first discovered in the United States in 2011, is a two-dimensional nanomaterial composed of alternating metal and carbon layers. MXene possesses and electromagnetic shielding capabilities.

Scientists in Japan have demonstrated a new method to create hydrogen fuel without emitting greenhouse gases. But key steps to improve its efficiency remain for it to be commercially viable.

The first steps in diagnosis typically involve a physical exam and questions about your medical history.

To help rule out other possible conditions, your healthcare provider may ask about your alcohol use, medications, lifestyle habits, and symptoms. MASH doesn’t always cause symptoms in its early stages, but common signs can include fatigue, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, unintended weight loss, bloating, and thirst.

The agricultural sector in South Africa is undergoing a transformation with the introduction of AI-powered harvesting robots. These advanced machines are set to revolutionize farming by increasing efficiency, reducing labor costs, and ensuring better crop yields. With the growing challenges of climate change, labor shortages, and the need for sustainable farming, AI-driven technology is emerging as a critical solution for modern agriculture.

Artificial intelligence has become a vital tool in various industries, and agriculture is no exception. AI-powered robots are designed to perform labor-intensive tasks such as planting, watering, monitoring crop health, and harvesting. These machines utilize machine learning, computer vision, and sensor technology to identify ripe crops, pick them with precision, and minimize waste.

In South Africa, where agricultural labor shortages and rising costs have posed challenges to farmers, AI-driven automation is proving to be a game-changer. With an estimated 8.5% of the country’s workforce employed in agriculture, technological advancements can significantly improve productivity while alleviating labor constraints.

While the number of smokers in the world as a proportion of the population is dropping, lung cancer continues to cause almost 2 million deaths per year – and new research reports on a concerning rise in cases among people who’ve never lit up a cigarette.

The international team behind the research found that rates of lung cancer in this group of people could be tied to increasing levels of pollution and the subsequent damage to health, with east Asia, particularly China, the worst affected.

“As lung cancer is the leading cancer worldwide, a comprehensive understanding of the changing epidemiological patterns and their potential causes is essential,” write the researchers in their published paper.

Around 15 percent of the world’s population suffers from tinnitus, a condition which causes someone to hear a sound (such as ringing or buzzing) without any external source. It’s often associated with hearing loss.

Not only can the condition be annoying for sufferers, it can also have a serious effect on mental health, often causing stress or depression. This is especially the case for patients suffering from tinnitus over months or years.

There’s currently no cure for tinnitus. So finding a way to better manage or treat it could help many millions of people worldwide.