SoylentNews

upstart writes:

Facial recognition AI helps save multibillion dollar grape crop:

A radical collaboration between a biologist and an engineer is supercharging efforts to protect grape crops. The technology they've developed, using robotics and AI to identify grape plants infected with a devastating fungus, will soon be available to researchers nationwide working on a wide array of plant and animal research.

The biologist, Lance Cadle-Davidson, Ph.D. '03, an adjunct professor in the School of Integrative Plant Science (SIPS), is working to develop grape varieties that are more resistant to powdery mildew, but his lab's research was bottlenecked by the need to manually assess thousands of grape leaf samples for evidence of infection.

Powdery mildew, a fungus that attacks many plants including wine and table grapes, leaves sickly white spores across leaves and fruit and costs grape growers worldwide billions of dollars annually in lost fruit and fungicide costs.

Cadle-Davidson is also a research plant pathologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS). He works in the Grape Genetics Research Unit in Geneva, New York, and his team developed prototypes of imaging robots that could scan grape leaf samples automatically – a process called high-throughput phenotyping – through the USDA-ARS funded VitisGen2 grape breeding project and in partnership with the Light and Health Research Center. This partnership led to the creation of a robotic camera they named "BlackBird."

upstart writes:

Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates and Michael Bloomberg join forces to mine for raw materials in Greenland:

KoBold Metals, a mineral exploration company backed by Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, Michael Bloomberg and Ray Dalio, has entered into a joint venture with London-based mining firm Bluejay to search for nickel, copper, cobalt and platinum on the world’s largest island.

KoBold uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to decide where to purchase land, what type of field data to collect and where to drill to find new ore deposits.

The companies announced Monday KoBold will spend $15 million through 2024 to help Bluejay locate natural resources as part of its Disko-Nuussuaq project in Central West Greenland. KoBold will put up the funds in exchange for a 51 percent stake in the project.

Bluejay says studies have shown the region has geological similarities to Russia’s Norilsk region, a large producer of nickel and palladium.

Original Submission

Freeman writes:

New BIOS updates will make Windows 11 support less annoying on custom-built PCs:

If you're using a pre-built desktop or laptop PC made within the last three or four years, Windows 11's sometimes confusing, sometimes contentious security-oriented new system requirements won't be a problem for you—all of the security features Microsoft is requiring for the new operating system should be turned on by default. The change presents a bigger problem for people who build their own computers (or who have had computers built for them), since features like the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) are often disabled by default.

[...] Asus is taking the most comprehensive approach, with BIOS updates either available or "under testing" for the vast majority of Intel and AMD motherboards made within the last three or four years (300-, 400-, and 500-series chipsets from both Intel and AMD are broadly supported, covering most 8th-generation and newer Intel CPUs and all of AMD's Ryzen processors). But ASRock has released TPM-enabling BIOS updates for a handful of its newer motherboards as well, and we'd expect other motherboard-makers to follow suit in the next few months. We've contacted ASRock, Gigabyte, and MSI to see if they have any information to share and will update if they do.

Original Submission

upstart writes:

UK launches £4m fund to run fibre optic cables through water pipes:

Broadband UK launches £4m fund to run fibre optic cables through water pipes

The [UK] government has launched a £4m fund to back projects trialling running fibre optic broadband cables through water pipes to help connect hard-to-reach homes without digging up roads.

The money will also be used to test out monitors in pipes that can help water companies identify and repair leaks more quickly. About a fifth of water put into public supply every day is lost via leaks and it is hoped that sensors could help deliver water companies' commitment to reduce water loss by half.

Infrastructure works, in particular installing new ducts and poles, can make up as much as four-fifths of the costs to industry of building new gigabit-capable broadband networks, the government said.

The project is designed to help cut those costs, and is part of a plan to improve broadband and mobile signals in rural areas.

[...] Although more than 96% of UK premises already have access to superfast broadband, providing download speeds of at least 24 Mbps, according to the government, just 12% of the UK has access to faster speeds via full-fibre broadband.

Original Submission

upstart writes:

Highest recorded temperature of 48.8C in Europe apparently logged in Sicily:

The highest temperature in European history appears to have been recorded in Italy during a heatwave sweeping the country, with early reports suggesting a high of 48.8C (119.85F).

If this is accepted by the World Meteorological Organisation it will break the previous European record of 48C (118.4F) set in Athens in 1977. The temperature was measured at a monitoring station in Syracuse, Sicily, and confirmed soon after by the island’s meteorological authorities.

The finding comes amid a fierce heatwave stretching across the Mediterranean to Tunisia and Algeria. Fires have blazed across much of the region for more than a week. Italy’s government has declared a state of emergency. Turkey and Greece have also been hit by devastating conflagrations.

Trevor Mitchell, a meteorologist from the UK Met Office, said: “The Società Meteorologica Italiana say that the temperature report of 48.8C is genuine. However, with potential records such as these there is typically a process of verification before they can be declared officially.

“Sicily has been experiencing a heatwave in the last few days. The foehn effect [a change from wet, cold conditions on one side of a mountain to warmer, drier conditions on the other] in the lee of the mountains to the west of Syracuse is likely to have assisted in generating the 48.8C observed there today.”

Original Submission

upstart writes:

Aluminum cans slowly replace plastics to tackle marine pollution:

A number of Japanese beverage vendors have recently moved to abandon the use of plastic bottles, replacing them with aluminum cans in a bid to combat marine plastic pollution, wreaking havoc with the ecosystem.

All 12 teas and soft drinks sold by Ryohin Keikaku Co., operator of retail brand Muji, have been provided in aluminum cans since April after data showed the rate of "horizontal recycling," which allows for the reuse of materials in a comparable function, was substantially higher for such cans compared to plastic bottles.

The rate of horizontal recycling for aluminum cans stands at 71.0% compared to 24.3% for plastic bottles, according to the Japan Aluminium Association and the Council for PET Bottle Recycling.

[...] Meanwhile, aluminum cans can better prevent their contents from deteriorating as their opacity keeps light from damaging them. Ryohin Keikaku introduced those cans also to cut down on wasted drinks.

By switching to aluminum cans, expiry dates for soft drinks were extended by 90 days to 270 days, according to the retailer.

Original Submission

Freeman writes:

Valve’s upcoming Steam Deck will be based on Arch Linux:

As Ars Technica confirmed in May, two months ahead of its official reveal, Valve is about to re-enter the hardware space with its first portable PC, the Steam Deck. This custom x86 PC resembles an XL version of the Nintendo Switch and will begin shipping to buyers by the end of 2021, starting at $399.

[...] Shipping on Linux cuts manufacturing costs for Steam, insulates the company from competition with the Microsoft Store on Windows, and avoids exposing Steam Deck players to the world's premiere malware ecosystem—which also runs on Windows.

[...] "The main reason [to switch to Arch] is the rolling updates [that support] more rapid development for SteamOS 3.0," Valve designer Lawrence Yang told PC Gamer. Yang says that Arch is a better choice given the massive number of updates, changes, and customizations Valve needs to make in order to provide the best gaming experience on the Steam Deck.

Valve promises that the Steam Deck will run "the entire Steam library" at 30+ fps, so that means a lot of customizations indeed.

Previously:
AMD + Valve Working on New Linux CPU Performance Scaling Design
Steam Deck is Valve's Switch-Like Portable PC: Starting at $399 this December

Original Submission

upstart writes:

British travellers rage as Vodafone brings back data roaming charges:

British travellers in the EU were disappointed today as another mobile phone company reintroduced roaming charges.

Mobile phone operator Vodafone said it would reintroduce European roaming fees for new and upgrading British customers in January 2022, following the lead set by rival EE.

Roaming charges were completely abolished in the European Union in 2017, saving holidaymakers and business travellers millions of pounds a year in total additional fees for using their smartphones outside Britain. But fee-free roaming was not protected in the Brexit agreement Britain signed with the EU.

LabRat writes:

From The American Meteor Society:

Perseids
Next period of activity: July 17th, 2021 to August 26th, 2021
The Perseids are the most popular meteor shower as they peak on warm August nights as seen from the northern hemisphere. The Perseids are active from July 17 to August 24. They reach a strong maximum on August 12 or 13, depending on the year. Normal rates seen from rural locations range from 50-75 shower members per hour at maximum. The Perseids are particles released from comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle during its numerous returns to the inner solar system. They are called Perseids since the radiant (the area of the sky where the meteors seem to originate) is located near the prominent constellation of Perseus the hero when at maximum activity.

Shower details - Radiant: 03:12 +57.6° - ZHR: 100 - Velocity: 37 miles/sec (swift - 60km/sec) - Parent Object: 109P/Swift-Tuttle

Next Peak - The Perseids will next peak on the Aug 11-12, 2021 night. On this night, the moon will be 13% full.

Given clear local skies, this is the best/least obscured meteor shower this year.

Original Submission

upstart writes:

How Detroit residents are building their own internet:

Detroit has historically been one of the least connected cities in America, with about 40 percent of Detroit residents lacking any home internet access at all. Things are changing, though, thanks in large part to projects like the Equitable Internet Initiative (EII), a collaboration between the Detroit Community Technology Project and a network of community organizations.

EII has an ambitious goal: to strengthen neighborhoods by building low-cost, high-speed internet for the underserved communities of Detroit, to increase digital literacy, and to train residents to be "digital stewards." And against all odds, they are succeeding.

Over the past six years, EII has built and maintained an impressive internet network across large swaths of Detroit, training digital stewards from the community to set up and install wireless access points, fiber hookups and hotspots, and educating residents on how to safely and effectively use the internet.

The onslaught of COVID-19 and the subsequent lockdowns around the country exacerbated an issue that has been pervasive for decades: the digital divide. As many Americans logged into Zoom to conduct business, chat with their family and watch Netflix, millions of others were offline and disconnected, struggling to find information about COVID-19, schedule vaccine appointments and apply for unemployment. This is the digital divide: the gap between those who have digital connectivity, and those who do not. This disparity is especially pronounced in communities of color, as well as low income communities.

[...] "Access to information is like liberty. Whenever that is restricted or limited for the sake of capitalism, it's so symbolic of oppression because people can't make up their own minds," says Shahmir. "When they don't have that information, can they really make the best decisions for themselves?"

Original Submission

upstart writes:

China-led study finds way to reverse a loss of eyesight:

A joint study by researchers from China and Australia has developed a new treatment that could prevent hundreds of millions of people from losing their eyesight – without the need for ongoing injections into their eyes.

In the short term, the study’s findings suggest current treatments for conditions like macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy can be made more effective and the number of injections into the eye reduced to just one.

About 450 million people worldwide are affected by loss of vision due to age or chronic disease. It was once regarded as a natural process, but in recent years scientists have found most of the blindness is caused by an excessive growth of new blood vessels at the back of the eye.

[...] The growth of young blood vessels relies heavily on a protein known as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Some pharmaceutical companies have developed antibodies that can be injected into the eye and bind with the VEGF protein.

Original Submission

4th Person in US Mysteriously Stricken With Deadly Bacteria From South Asia

upstart writes:

4th person in US mysteriously stricken with deadly bacteria from South Asia:

A fourth person in a fourth US state has mysteriously contracted a deadly South Asian bacterium without leaving the continental US, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Monday.

Two of the four cases have been fatal, including the latest one identified in Georgia late last month during a post-mortem exam.

CDC investigators determined that all four cases are connected and they suspect a so-far-unknown imported product may be to blame. The CDC had released an advisory on June 30 about the three earlier cases.

CDC Probes How People Contracted a Dangerous Infection Found in the Tropics

upstart writes:

CDC probes how people contracted a dangerous infection found in the tropics:

When a 63-year-old Texas man who had not left the United States in 30 years sought treatment for a fever, chest pain and difficulty breathing in November 2018, doctors discovered a surprising culprit: a bacteria that is endemic to Southeast Asia and northern Australia.

Nearly three years later, doctors and researchers remained flummoxed by the man’s melioidosis diagnosis, because nothing in his medical or personal history suggested that he had been exposed to soil or water infected with the disease-causing bacteria called Burkholderia pseudomallei.

[...] They also urged further investigation because some scientists have theorized that the American southwest could have “suitable habitats for B. pseudomallei” that could allow the bacteria to live naturally in the soil.

Original Submission #1  Original Submission #2 

upstart writes:

New poo, new you? Fecal transplants reverse signs of brain aging in mice:

As you age, your brain slows down. You may forget where you left your glasses or have trouble picking up a new skill. Now there’s hope from rodent experiments that some of these declines could be reversed—but it takes guts. New research shows a transplant of gut microbes, in the form of feces, from young mice to old ones can turn back the clock on the aging brain.

[...] The bacteria in our intestines influence everything from our daily moods to our overall health. This “gut microbiome” also changes over the course of our lives. But whereas some studies have shown young blood can have rejuvenating effects on old mice, the microbiome’s impact on age-related declines hasn’t been clear.

[...] The first thing the team noticed was that the gut microbiomes of the old mice given young mouse microbes began to resemble those of the younger ones. The common gut microbe Enterococcus became much more abundant in old mice, just as it is in young mice, for example.

There were changes in the brain as well. The hippocampus of old mice—a region of the brain associated with learning and memory—became more physically and chemically similar to the hippocampus of young mice. The old mice that received young mouse poop also learned to solve mazes faster and were better at remembering the maze layout on subsequent attempts, the team reports today in Nature Aging. None of these effects was seen in old mice given old mouse feces.

Original Submission

aristarchus writes:

Got Plans For Sept. 24, 2182? This Big Asteroid Might, Too:

A potentially dangerous asteroid called Bennu has a 1 in 1,750 chance of hitting Earth between now and the year 2300.

That's according to the most precise calculations of an asteroid's trajectory ever made, and the odds are slightly worse than NASA previously thought.

[...] there is a 99.94% probability that Bennu is not on an impact trajectory.

[...] Bennu is a "rubble-pile asteroid" that's shaped like a spinning top, and it's wider than the Empire State Building is tall. It was discovered in 1999 and telescopes have been keeping tabs on it ever since; NASA considers Bennu and another asteroid called 1950 DA to be the two most hazardous known asteroids in our solar system.

Previous coverage.

Original Submission

upstart writes:

A new way to treat PTSD?:

Exposure to a traumatic experience can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), an incapacitating disorder in susceptible persons with no reliable therapy. Particularly puzzling is understanding how transient exposure to trauma creates persistent long- term suffering from PTSD and why some people are susceptible to PTSD while others that were exposed to the same trauma remain resilient.

[...] The researchers first mapped 'epigenetic DNA methylation marks' in a brain region which is important for PTSD. They found distinct epigenetic differences between animals that were exposed to trauma and were resilient, and those animals that were exposed to trauma and were susceptible and developed PTSD-like behavior. The researchers found that an important 'epigenetic' enzyme that transfers methyl groups onto DNA, DNMT3A, is reduced in animals that are susceptible to PTSD. The researchers also searched for groups of genes whose methylation is altered in the PTSD susceptible animals and found that one group of genes is controlled by the retinoic acid receptor which is activated by vitamin A. Indeed, delivering DNMT3A or retinoic acid orphan receptor gene into the animal brains reverses the PTSD-like phenotypes, suggesting that these genes that are differentially methylated are responsible for PTSD behavior.

Injecting brains with genes is still not a feasible therapeutic option. Therefore, the authors tested whether nutritional supplements that mimic the activity of these genes could treat and reverse PTSD in susceptible animals. Since DNMT3A increases DNA methylation, the researchers used a natural product that donates methyl groups S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe) and to activate the retinoic acid receptor they treated the animals with vitamin A.  They found that combined treatment with the methyl donor SAM and retinoic acid reversed PTSD-like behaviors.