How tiny machines become capable of learning

Living organisms, from bacteria to animals and humans, can perceive their environment and process, store and retrieve this information. They learn how to react to later situations using appropriate actions. A team of physicists at Leipzig University led by Professor Frank Cichos, in collaboration with colleagues at Charles University Prague, have developed a method for giving tiny artificial microswimmers a certain ability to learn using machine learning algorithms. They recently published a paper on this topic in the journal Science Robotics.

Chemists achieve breakthrough in the production of three-dimensional molecular structures

A major goal of organic and medicinal chemistry in recent decades has been the rapid synthesis of three-dimensional molecules for the development of new drugs. These drug candidates exhibit a variety of improved properties compared to predominantly flat molecular structures, which are reflected in clinical trials by higher efficacy and success rates. However, they could only be produced at great expense or not at all using previous methods. Chemists led by Prof. Frank Glorius (University of Münster, Germany) and his colleagues Prof. M. Kevin Brown (Indiana University Bloomington) and Prof. Kendall N. Houk (University of California, Los Angeles) have now succeeded in converting several classes of flat nitrogen-containing molecules into the desired three-dimensional structures. Using more than 100 novel examples, they were able to demonstrate the broad applicability of the process. This study will be published by Science on Friday, 26 March 2021.

X-rays combined with AI offer fast diagnostic tool in detecting COVID-19

X-rays, first used clinically in the late 1890s, could be a leading-edge diagnostic tool for COVID-19 patients with the help of artificial intelligence, according to a team of researchers in Brazil. They used machine learning methods to teach a computer program to detect COVID-19 in chest X-rays with 95.6 to 98.5% accuracy. They published their results in IEEE/CAA Journal of Automatica Sinica.

School closures disproportionately hit disadvantaged students in the US

The uneven distribution of school closures in the U.S. since September 2020 threatens to exacerbate regional, racial and class-based divides in educational performance, according to research by Zachary Parolin of Bocconi University's Department of Social and Political Science, recently published in Nature Human Behavior. For example, in October, only 35% of white students were on distance learning, compared with 52% of Black students, 60% of Hispanic students and 65% of Asian students. And schools recording the lowest math scores were 15% more likely to be closed.

Eat me: The cell signal of death

Scientists at the Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (iCeMS) and colleagues in Japan have revealed molecular mechanisms involved in eliminating unwanted cells in the body. A nuclear protein fragment released into the cytoplasm activates a plasma membrane protein to display a lipid on the cell surface, signaling other cells to get rid of it. The findings were published in the journal Molecular Cell.

Study exposes global ripple effects of regional water scarcity

Water scarcity is often understood as a problem for regions experiencing drought, but a new study led by Tufts University researchers finds that not only can localized water shortages impact the global economy, but changes in global demand can have positive and negative ripple effects in river basins across the globe.

AI used in battle against asbestos-linked cancer

International genomics research led by the University of Leicester has used artificial intelligence (AI) to study an aggressive form of cancer, which could improve patient outcomes.

Amazon delivery drivers scoff at company's claim that its workers don't pee in bottles

Amazon sparked a firestorm of derision when it pushed back on social media against claims that workers urinate in bottles because they are pressured to skip restroom breaks to keep up with the company's productivity goals.

Brazil surpasses 100,000 new COVID cases in a day

Brazil surpassed 100,000 new COVID-19 cases in one day on Thursday, adding another grim record in country where the pandemic has killed more than 300,000 people, the health ministry said.

31 new Washoe County cases of COVID-19 variant; new total 45

Washoe County health officials said Thursday they've identified 31 new cases of the COVID-19 variant that originated in the United Kingdom since they first confirmed more than a dozen in the Reno-Sparks area about two weeks ago.

Rutgers to require students be vaccinated for virus in fall

Rutgers University will require that all students be vaccinated for the coronavirus before arriving for classes in the fall, the university said Thursday.

Mexico tops 200,000 COVID-19 deaths, but real toll is higher

As Mexico surpassed 200,000 test-confirmed deaths from COVID-19 Thursday, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador framed ramped-up vaccination efforts as a race against time.

Germany to list France as COVID-19 high-risk zone

Germany will classify France as a high-risk zone for COVID-19, Chancellor Angela Merkel said, in a move that could see Berlin tighten border controls and require mandatory quarantine to enter the country.

Q&A: Artist Beeple on selling NFT collage for a record $70M

When digital artist Beeple put an NFT digital artwork up for auction this month, he became instantly famous when it sold for almost $70 million. The record sale also sparked huge interest in digital certificates of authenticity based on cryptocurrency technology that are called "non-fungible tokens."

How two friends made art history buying a $70M digital work

It took a few minutes for Vignesh Sundaresan and Anand Venkateswaran to realize that they'd parted with $69.3 million for a digital artwork stored in a JPEG file, coincidentally securing their place in art history.

New problems arise for crop storage as planet gets warmer

For generations, Brian Sackett's family has farmed potatoes that are made into chips found on grocery shelves in much of the eastern U.S.

Mutations in CTC may predict outcomes in some castrate-resistant prostate cancer patients

Various genetic alterations in circulating tumor cells (CTCs) were associated with clinical outcomes and resistance to hormone therapy in patients with metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), according to results published in Molecular Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

Stressed brain linked to broken heart

Heightened activity in the brain, caused by stressful events, is linked to the risk of developing a rare and sometimes fatal heart condition, according to research published today (Friday) in the European Heart Journal.

A simple, no-cost way to increase organ donor registrations

Researchers from Queens University, Boston University, University of Toronto, University of Rochester, and Treasury Board Secretariat, Government of Canada published a new paper in the Journal of Marketing that tests a simple, no-cost intervention that can double registration rates, thus helping communities gradually increase the number of prospective donors.

Study reveals bias among doctors who classify X-rays for coal miner's black lung claims

University of Illinois Chicago researchers are the first to report on the financial conflicts of interest that exist among doctors who review the chest X-rays of coal miners who file workers' compensation claims of totally disabling disease with the U.S. Department of Labor's Federal Black Lung Program.

Intensity of tropical cyclones is probably increasing due to climate change

Many tropical cyclone-prone regions of the world are expected to experience storm systems of greater intensity over the coming century, according to a review of research published today in ScienceBrief Review.