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Researchers extract DNA from 25 Killer whales off the coast of Japan — and make “crucial” new discovery

Their in-depth DNA analysis also showed that resident killer whales shared the same haplotype (group of inherited genes) while the transients had eight different haplotypes making them more genetically diverse. This finding suggests that transient killer whales used Hokkaido as a refuge during the last Ice Age, the researchers say.

“Clarifying the ecological characteristics of killer whales is crucial for achieving coexistence with them,” says first author Momoka Suzuki, Kyoto University, in a statement.

Understanding the diet and behaviour of orcas in Japanese waters gives conservationists important information that can help protect the animals from threats. “They are deeply entwined with human activities such as tourism and fisheries in Hokkaido,” adds Suzuki.

A trio of AI methods tackles enzyme design

Naturally occurring enzymes, while powerful, catalyze only a fraction of the reactions chemists care about.

That’s why scientists are eager to design new-to-nature versions that could manufacture drugs more efficiently, break down pollutants, capture carbon, or carry out entirely new forms of chemistry that biology never evolved.

Read more.

RFdiffusion2, RFdiffusion3, and Riff-Diff each solve different structural problems in computational enzyme design by .

Should AI be allowed to resurrect the dead?

Griefbots fundamentally change the process of mourning.

Xingye, the platform on which Roro created her late mother’s chatbot, is one of the key prompts for proposed new regulations from China’s Cyberspace Administration, the national internet content regulator and censor, which seek to reduce the potential emotional harm of “human-like interactive AI services”

What does digital resurrection do to grief?

Deathbots fundamentally change the process of mourning because, unlike seeing old letters or photos of the deceased, interacting with generative AI can introduce new and unexpected elements into the grieving process. For Roro, creating and interacting with an AI version of her mother felt surprisingly therapeutic, allowing her to articulate feelings she never voiced and achieve a sense of closure.

Human T-cell receptor–CD3 complex structure unraveled!

Mean motor disconnectivity (MMD), evaluated on MRI imaging, explains additional variability in skilled hand function after subacute stroke, beyond motor evoked potential status and corticospinal tract lesion load.

BACKGROUND: Persistent compromised hand function is one of the most common long-term deficits after stroke. It is related to dysfunction of the primary motor cortex (M1) and corticospinal tract (CST) as assessed by magnetic resonance imaging-derived estimates of CST lesion load or by transcranial magnetic stimulation-derived measures, such as motor evoked potential (MEP) status. However, substantial interindividual variability remains with these measures. We tested whether a novel measure, mean motor disconnectivity (MMD), explains additional variation in the hand function of subacute stroke patients. METHODS: Thirty-two participants (15 M/17 F; age, 58.6±9.65 years) after unilateral ischemic stroke involving the CST and related upper extremity weakness were studied within 4 weeks of stroke in a cross-sectional study design at Emory University between 2015 and 2021.

RIKEN-led Project Seeks to Combine The Powers of Quantum Computers And Supercomputers

While supercomputers excel at general-purpose tasks and large-scale simulations, quantum computers specialize in problems involving exponential combinations (e.g., materials science, drug discovery, AI optimization). However, quantum systems currently require conventional computers to operate—a dependency that will intensify as they scale from today’s 100+ qubits to thousands or millions. The project envisions supercomputers acting as the “pianists” that play the quantum “piano.”

Twelve user groups are currently testing both systems. The project’s primary objective is to provide concrete answers to “What can quantum computers do *now*?” rather than speculating about future capabilities, while demonstrating practical advantages of tightly integrated hybrid computing for real-world scientific and industrial applications.

A RIKEN-led project is developing system software to tightly integrate quantum computers with supercomputers.

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