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Jan 26, 2024

Survey: Over 30% of Game Developers Use Generative AI

Posted by in category: robotics/AI

84% of them are worried about it.

Jan 26, 2024

New tool improves the search for genes that cause diseases

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, genetics

A new statistical tool developed by researchers at the University of Chicago improves the ability to find genetic variants that cause disease. The tool, described in a new paper published January 26, 2024, in Nature Genetics, combines data from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and predictions of genetic expression to limit the number of false positives and more accurately identify causal genes and variants for a disease.

GWAS is a commonly used approach to identify genes associated with a range of human traits, including most . Researchers compare genome sequences of a large group of people with a specific disease, for example, with another set of sequences from healthy individuals. The differences identified in the disease group could point to genetic variants that increase risk for that disease and warrant further study.

Most human diseases are not caused by a single genetic variation, however. Instead, they are the result of a complex interaction of multiple genes, environmental factors, and host of other variables. As a result, GWAS often identifies many variants across many regions in the genome that are associated with a disease.

Jan 26, 2024

Advanced full-color image sensor technology enables simultaneous energy harvesting and imaging

Posted by in categories: energy, nanotechnology

Organic-based optoelectronic technology is increasingly recognized as an energy-efficient solution for low-power indoor electronics and wireless IoT sensors. This is largely due to its superior flexibility and light weight compared to conventional silicon-based devices. Notably, organic photovoltaic cells (OPVs) and organic photodetectors (OPDs) are leading examples in this field.

OPVs have the remarkable ability to absorb energy and generate electricity even under very low light conditions, while OPDs are capable of capturing images. However, despite their potential, the development of these devices has thus far been conducted independently. As a result, they have not yet reached the level of efficiency necessary to be considered practical for next-generation, miniaturized devices.

A Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) research team, led by Dr. Min-Chul Park and Dr. Do Kyung Hwang of the Center for Opto-Electronic Materials and Devices, Prof. Jae Won Shim and Prof. Tae Geun Kim of the School of Electrical Engineering at Korea University, Prof. JaeHong Park of the Department of Chemistry and Nanoscience at Ewha Womans University, have now developed an organic-based optoelectronic device.

Jan 26, 2024

Chinese Lab Created New Coronavirus, 100% Mortality Rate in Human Transgenetic Mice

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, genetics, neuroscience

According to a paper submitted for peer review on January 4th, 2024, Lethal Infection of Human ACE2-Transgenic Mice Caused by SARS-CoV-2-related Pangolin Coronavirus GX_P2V(short_3UTR), a new lab-created coronavirus has the potential to kill 100% of those infected with the virus within 8 days of infection.

The mice were genetically modified to express the human ACE2 receptor. This is the receptor responsible for allowing coronavirus to gain cellular entry. The lab infected mice with a coronavirus engineered from a strain found in pangolins. Pangolins are medium-sized animals growing to 12 — 30 inches in length and have the appearance of a scale-plated anteater.

Researchers monitored the mice for signs of infection by recording body weight, taking tissue samples, and monitoring for other symptoms. By the third day post-infection, tissue samples from the infected mice had a significant amount of viral RNA in the brain, eye, lung, and nasal tissue.

Jan 26, 2024

Paper page — WebVoyager: Building an End-to-End Web Agent with Large Multimodal Models

Posted by in category: habitats

Join the discussion on this paper page.

Jan 26, 2024

Adaptive Mobile Manipulation for Articulated Objects in the Open World

Posted by in categories: habitats, robotics/AI

Paper page: https://huggingface.co/papers/2401.14403 https://open-world-mobilemanip.github.io/ Deploying robots in open-ended unstructured environments such as homes has been a long-standing research problem.

Jan 26, 2024

Chinese train that runs on road without track

Posted by in categories: robotics/AI, transportation

The Rail Bus, a pioneering mode of transportation originating in Zhuzhou, China, is a groundbreaking discovery. Introduced by the Chinese manufacturer CRRC, this self-driving vehicle, resembling a train but without tracks, completed its inaugural journey in 2017. The Rail Bus seeks to revolutionise traditional concepts of buses, trains, and trams. The design of the Rail Bus was presented to the public in June 2023, and remarkably, within a span of fewer than five months, CRRC initiated testing on October 30, 2017. Covering a 3-kilometer route with stops at four stations in Zhuzhou, this marked a significant milestone in transportation evolution.

Jan 26, 2024

MIT researchers’ new rapid liquid printing technique is 10x faster

Posted by in category: futurism

Imagine printing a table leg or a chair frame in minutes using liquid metal. Researchers from MIT have developed a new additive manufacturing technique that can do just that.

Their technique, called liquid metal printing (LMP), involves depositing molten aluminum along a predefined path into a bed of tiny glass beads. The aluminum quickly hardens into a 3D structure, ready to be used or further processed.

Jan 26, 2024

Meet all muscle, no smoke, eWolf: US’ first innovative electric tugboat

Posted by in categories: innovation, sustainability

Embark on a greener maritime future with Crowley’s eWolf, the first all-electric tugboat in the US, setting sail to revolutionize sustainability on the seas.

Jan 25, 2024

Liebherr converted this massive mining excavator to electric power

Posted by in categories: bioengineering, futurism

For the first time in the company’s 40-year history, Liebherr have converted one of their R 9,400 excavators from a conventional diesel to an electric powertrain.

The re-powered mining machine was commissioned at Fortescue’s Christmas Creek mine site in Western Australia – but what’s more significant is that the conversion was done during the standard service life of the machine.

“The modular design of Liebherr equipment makes it possible to repower existing diesel excavators to new zero emission configurations, such as electric powertrains,” explains Oliver Weiss, Executive Vice President of R&D, Engineering, and Manufacturing for Liebherr Mining. “This means that the diesel equipment customers buy today is also future-proofed for many years to come. The fact that we can ease the transition from traditional to decarbonized mining fleets for our customers is one of the key strategies of the Liebherr Zero Emission Mining Program.”