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Exploring the Depths: How AI is Revolutionizing Seafloor Research
In recent years, there has been a significant shift in the way seafloor research is conducted, all thanks to the groundbreaking advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) technology. The depths of our oceans have always been a mystery, but with the use of AI, scientists and researchers are now able to explore and uncover the hidden secrets that lie beneath the surface. With funding from the Department of Defense, University of Delaware oceanographer Art Trembanis and others are are using artificial intelligence and machine learning to analyze seafloor data from the Mid-Atlantic Ocean. The goal is to develop robust machine-learning methods that can accurately and reliably detect objects in seafloor data. “You can fire up your phone and type dog, boat or bow tie into a search engine, and it's going to search for and find all those things. Why? Because there are huge datasets of annotated images for that,” he said. “You don't have that same repository for things like subway car, mine, unexploded ordnance, pipeline, shipwreck, seafloor ripples, and we are working to develop just such a repository for seabed intelligence.” Trembanis is able to talk about this research and the impact it could have on our day to day lives. He can be contacted by clicking his profile. “You have commercial companies that are trying to track pipelines, thinking about where power cables will go or offshore wind farms, or figuring out where to find sand to put on our beaches,” said Trembanis. “All of this requires knowledge about the seafloor. Leveraging deep learning and AI and making it ubiquitous in its applications can serve many industries, audiences and agencies with the same methodology to help us go from complex data to actionable intelligence.” He has appeared in The Economic Times, Technical.ly and Gizmodo.
Questions are flying around about airplane safety
The Boeing Corporation is the recognized pioneer in aviation and aircraft manufacturing, but now significant quality control concerns are mounting in light of recent near disasters associated with Boeing's planes. David Primo, professor of political science and business administration at the University of Rochester, is available to tackle some of the regulatory, crisis management and reputational questions related to Boeing's recent safety problems, including: 1) This is just the latest in a string of black eyes for Boeing on safety. How badly will the company’s bottom line suffer as a result? 2) Has the company learned from how it handled the initial crisis with its MAX planes resulting from the fatal Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines crashes? 3) What does the company need to do to prevent further damage to its reputation? 4) How will this change the nature of the relationship between Boeing and its main US regulator, the FAA?
Research: Add space salad to the risks astronauts face
University of Delaware researchers grew lettuce under conditions that imitated the weightless environment aboard the International Space Station and found those plants were actually more prone to infections from Salmonella. It’s been more than three years since the National Aeronautics and Space Administration made space-grown lettuce an item on the menu for astronauts aboard the International Space Station. Alongside their space diet staples of flour tortillas and powdered coffee, astronauts can munch on a salad, grown from control chambers aboard the ISS that account for the ideal temperature, amount of water and light that plants need to mature. But as the UD researchers discovered, there is a problem. The International Space Station has a lot of pathogenic bacteria and fungi. Many of these disease-causing microbes at the ISS are very aggressive and can easily colonize the tissue of lettuce and other plants. Once people eat lettuce that’s been overrun by E. coli or Salmonella, they can get sick. With billions of dollars poured into space exploration each year by NASA and private companies like SpaceX, some researchers are concerned that a foodborne illness outbreak aboard the International Space Station could derail a mission. In the new study by UD's team, published in Scientific Reports and in npj Microgravity, researchers grew lettuce in a weightless environment similar to that found at the International Space Station. Plants are masters of sensing gravity, and they use roots to find it. The plants grown at UD were exposed to simulated microgravity by rotation. The researchers found those plants under the manufactured microgravity were actually more prone to infections from Salmonella, a human pathogen. Stomata, the tiny pores in leaves and stems that plants use to breathe, normally close to defend a plant when it senses a stressor, like bacteria, nearby, said Noah Totsline, an alumnus of UD’s Department of Plant and Soil Sciences who finished his graduate program in December. When the researchers added bacteria to lettuce under their microgravity simulation, they found the leafy greens opened their stomata wide instead of closing them. “The fact that they were remaining open when we were presenting them with what would appear to be a stress was really unexpected,” Totsline said. Totsline, the lead author of both papers, worked with plant biology professor Harsh Bais as well as microbial food safety professor Kali Kniel and Chandran Sabanayagam of the Delaware Biotechnology Institute. The research team used a device called a clinostat to rotate plants at the speed of a rotisserie chicken on a spinner. “In effect, the plant would not know which way was up or down,” Totsline said. “We were kind of confusing their response to gravity.” Additionally, Bais and other UD researchers have shown the usage of a helper bacteria called B. subtilis UD1022 in promoting plant growth and fitness against pathogens or other stressors such as drought. They added the UD1022 to the microgravity simulation that on Earth can protect plants against Salmonella, thinking it might help the plants fend off Salmonella in microgravity. Instead, they found the bacterium actually failed to protect plants in space-like conditions, which could stem from the bacteria’s inability to trigger a biochemical response that would force a plant to close its stomata. “The failure of UD1022 to close stomata under simulated microgravity is both surprising and interesting and opens another can of worms,” Bais said. “I suspect the ability of UD1022 to negate the stomata closure under microgravity simulation may overwhelm the plant and make the plant and UD1022 unable to communicate with each other, helping Salmonella invade a plant.” To contact researchers from the team, visit the profiles for Bais or Kniel and click on the contact button.
Expert Help: Augusta University faculty offers financial advice for college students
The world of finances isn't always an easy one for students to navigate. Wendy Habegger, PhD, senior lecturer in the Hull College of Business, suggests several ways college students can improve their financial literacy, even after their collegiate career. Habegger said most don’t have a good grasp of what that is, despite being one of the most foundational building blocks to help students start off on the right foot. “They should know their credit scores just as quickly as their GPA and they should protect it just as vigorously,” Habegger said. She also suggests students have a credit card but with the caveat they use it wisely and be sure to pay their bills in a timely fashion. While they might like using cash, having a credit card will start to build a good credit history that they’ll likely need down the road. “The sooner they get started, the better they are of having good credit when they leave (college),” she added. When looking at their student loans, there are ways they can be better prepared when they start having to pay them back. During that deferral period, she suggests students really consider what a job may pay. Also, when selecting a payment plan for college loans, make sure it’s something they can make monthly payments on without any problems. She also said people need to think about public service jobs that may offer loan forgiveness or asking a potential employer about any loan forgiveness programs. “Some employers out there will offer some sort of that. The military is a good career and they are happy to be help pay off your student loans. Other businesses may offer that as well. It can be a good perk on both sides of the table, for the company and student looking for a first time job.” This is great advice and an important topic, so if you’re a reporter looking to know more, then let us help. Wendy Habegger is a respected finance expert available to offer advice on making the right money moves during volatile times. To arrange an interview, simply click on her icon now.
The Power of Teacher Noticing: A Key to Understanding Engagement in Secondary Mathematics Lessons
Math can be a tough subject for students in K-12, particularly as the years go by. Educators at University of Delaware are working to see how to both identify this trend and potentially find solutions. Amanda Jansen, professor in the School of Education at UD, recently published a paper detailing teacher noticing –– how teachers observe, recognize, and make sense of what's happening in their classrooms. Jansen and others investigated what high school mathematics teachers and their students noticed about students’ mathematical engagement to develop a framework for teachers’ and students’ noticing of mathematical engagement. "We conjecture that researchers can use this framework as an analytic tool to support the field's understanding of student engagement and teachers’ efforts to engage students," the paper notes. Jansen is available for interviews on this topic. She has been quoted in publications like Education Week and recently celebrated as a 2023 Excellence in Scholarly Community Engagement Award recipient. Click the "View Profile" page to contact her.
Aston University AI project aims to make international health data sharing easier
Project to improve sharing data while complying with general data protection regulation (GDPR) guidelines Aston Institute of Photonic Technologies awarded almost £300k to work on European-wide project Will develop secure data sharing system to allow access to large sets of multi-source health data via tailor-made AI tools. Aston University is to explore the use of AI to improve sharing health data internationally. Dr Sergei Sokolovski of the University’s Aston Institute of Photonic Technologies has been awarded €317,500 to work on a European-wide project. Called BETTER (Better real-world health data distributed analytics research platform) the spans16 academic, medical and industrial partners. Although data-driven medicine is currently used to improve diagnosis, treatment and medical research ethical, legal and privacy issues can prevent sharing and centralising data for analysis. The research at Aston University’s involvement in the BETTER project aims to overcome these challenges so health data can be shared across national borders while fully complying with the general data protection regulation (GDPR) guidelines. Dr Sergei Sokolovski will lead the development of a secure data sharing system which will allow access to large sets of multi-source health data via tailor-made AI tools. Scientists and healthcare professionals will be able to compare, integrate and analyse data securely at a lower cost than current methods to improve people’s health. The BETTER project will focus on three health conditions; childhood learning disabilities, inherited degenerative retina diseases and autism, involving seven medical centres across the European Union and beyond. Dr Sergei Sokolovski said: “Data protection regulations prohibit data centralisation for analysis purposes because of privacy risks like the accidental disclosure of personal data to third parties. “Therefore, to enable health data sharing across national borders and to fully comply with GDPR guidelines this project proposes a robust decentralised infrastructure which will empower researchers, innovators and healthcare professionals to exploit the full potential of larger sets of multi-source health data. “As healthcare continues to evolve in an increasingly data-driven world projects like BETTER offer promising solutions to the challenges of health data sharing, research collaboration, and ultimately, improving the well-being of citizens worldwide. “The collaboration between multiple stakeholders, including medical centres, researchers, and innovators, highlights the importance of interdisciplinary efforts in addressing these complex issues.” The research will last 42 months. ENDS Better Real-World Health-Data Distributed Analytics Research Platform, Grant agreement 101136262 https://www.better-health-project.eu/ Research Universities taking part are: Aston University, Klinikum der Universitaet zu Koeln, Universiteit Maastricht, Universitat Politecnica de Valencia, Universitetet i Tromsoe, About Aston University Founded in 1895 and a university since 1966, Aston University is a long-established university led by its three main beneficiary groups – students, business and the professions, and the West Midlands region and wider society. Located in Birmingham at the heart of a vibrant city, the campus houses all the University’s academic, social and accommodation facilities for our students. Professor Aleks Subic is the Vice-Chancellor & Chief Executive. In 2022 Aston University was ranked in the top 25 of the Guardian University Guide, based on measures including entry standards, student satisfaction, research quality and graduate prospects. The Aston Business School MBA programme was ranked in the top 100 in the world in the Economist MBA 2021 ranking. For media inquiries in relation to this release, contact Nicola Jones, Press and Communications Manager, on (+44) 7825 342091 or email: n.jones6@aston.ac.uk
It's coming this summer -- and it'll be twice as big! Two broods of cicadas are set to emerge this year, an event that last occurred more than 200 years ago and now has scientists, bug watchers, and fans of the loud and noisy (yet harmless) insects buzzing with anticipation. Media coverage of this popular event put on by nature is also starting, and John R. Cooley, a cicada expert at UConn, offered his expertise on the impending emergence to MassLive: This summer, some will get a chance to witness a phenomenon rarer — and probably louder — than Halley’s comet. For the first time in more than two centuries, two big groups of cicadas in the United States will emerge simultaneously from the ground. Cicadas, often called “heat bugs,” make their presence known throughout the country every summer by “singing” their loud song. But some of these large, flying insects only emerge from underground every so often, depending on their group, or brood. These “periodical” cicadas bury themselves in soil, where they spend most of their lives. This summer, millions of cicadas from broods XIX (emerging every 13 years) and XIII (every 17 years) will both crawl out from underground and fly across the south and Midwest looking for a mate, according to Cicadamania, a website dedicated to tracking the insects. The last time these two broods popped out of the ground at the same time was in 1803, Cicadamania reported – when the U.S. bought the Louisiana Territory from France. “You cannot possibly be unaware that periodical cicadas are out, because they’re out by the millions and millions, and they’re noisy, charismatic, active insects that are just everywhere,” John R. Cooley, an entomologist who studies cicadas at the University of Connecticut, told MassLive. “When you got them, you know it. And that’s what you can expect to see. That’s what any normal emergence looks like,” he continued. What folks will see are a whole lot of bugs that all look the same, as the ones that come out every decade-plus look the same as the ones that come out every year, Cooley said. Researchers are still exploring why some cicadas emerge periodically. One common theory is that their infrequent appearance helps them avoid predators and prevents enemies from synchronizing on their life cycle. But, Cooley said this theory is flawed since all cicadas have predators, but fewer than 10 species are periodical. Some of the cicada’s natural enemies include birds, moles and Cicada killer wasps, according to the University of California Integrated Pest Management Program. Another theory suggests the last ice age forced cicadas to evolve to have longer periodical life cycles. But, that theory is limited as many cicadas live near glacial areas – few of which are periodical, according to nature.com. “Science isn’t all about having the explanations,” Cooley said. “We just test hypotheses and there are a lot of hypotheses as to why these cicadas are the way they are, but none really stand up so far.” The emerging of cicadas is always a popular and trending topic, and if you have questions or are looking to cover, then let us help. John R. Cooley is an Associate Professor in Residence at the University of Connecticut. He is an entomologist, author, and leading authority when it comes to cicadas. Simply click on his icon now to arrange a time to talk today.
Image shows how tiny water channels control how water enters and exits cells through their membranes The Aston Institute for Membrane Excellence (AIME) will be set up with a £10m grant from Research England AIME will be led by Professor Roslyn Bill from Biosciences and Professor Paul Topham from Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry The globally unique institute will use biomimetic polymer membranes for applications such as water purification and drug development Aston University will establish the Aston Institute for Membrane Excellence (AIME), a globally unique, cross-disciplinary institute to develop novel biomimetic membranes, after receiving a major grant of £10m from Research England. AIME will be led by Professor Roslyn Bill, from the School of Biosciences, with co-lead Professor Paul Topham from the department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry (CEAC). Membranes, both biological and synthetic, are hugely important in many sectors. For example, the world’s top ten selling human medicines all target proteins in biological membranes, while synthetic polymer membranes are used in the US$100bn/year water purification industry. The team behind AIME believes that the full potential of membranes will only be realised by an interdisciplinary group spanning biology, physics and chemistry that can investigate membranes holistically. Professor Bill, a European Research Council (ERC) Advanced grantee leads Aston Membrane Proteins and Lipids (AMPL) research centre of excellence that studies the structure and function of membrane proteins and associated lipids. Professor Topham leads Aston Polymer Research Group (APRG), which investigates the nanoscale behaviour of block copolymers (a type of polymer with a structure made of more than one type of polymer molecule) and polymer technologies for membranes. AMPL and APRG have already begun collaborative research and AIME will bring together the complementary expertise of both research clusters into one institute. AIME will initially comprise the eight researchers from AMPL and APRG. Alongside the co-leads Professor Bill and Professor Topham, will be Dr Alan Goddard, Professor Andrew Devitt, Professor Corinne Spickett, Dr Alice Rothnie, Dr Matt Derry and Dr Alfred Fernandez. It plans to recruit three further academics, six tenure-track research fellows, three postdoctoral research assistants (PDRAs), six PhD students, a research technician and a business development manager. Importantly, AIME will work with many existing Aston University colleagues to build a comprehensive research community focused on all aspects of membrane science. The new AIME team will focus on the development of bioinspired, highly selective polymer structures for applications in water purification and waste remediation, nanoparticles loaded with therapeutic molecules to treat disorders ranging from chronic wounds to neurological injuries, and the purification of individual membrane proteins with polymers to study them as drug targets. The vision is for AIME to become a ‘one-stop shop’ for interdisciplinary, translational membrane research through its facilities access and expertise, ideally located in the heart of the country. Professor Bill said: “The creation of AIME is ground-breaking. Together with Aston’s investment, E3 funding will deliver a step-change in scale and the rate at which we can grow capacity. We will address intractable scientific challenges in health, disease, and biotechnology, combining our world-class expertise in polymer chemistry and membrane biology to study membranes holistically. The excellence of our science, alongside recent growth in collaborative successes means we have a unique opportunity to deliver AIME’s ambitious and inclusive vision.” Professor Topham said: “We are really excited by this fantastic opportunity to work more closely with our expert colleagues in Biosciences to create advanced technology to address real world problems. From our side, we are interested in molecular engineering, where we control the molecular structure of new materials to manipulate their properties to do the things that we want! Moreover, we are passionate about a fully sustainable future for our planet, and this investment will enable us to develop technological solutions in a sustainable or ‘green’ way.” Professor Aleks Subic, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of Aston University, says: “Our new Aston Institute for Membrane Excellence (AIME) will be a regional, national, and international research leader in membrane science, driving game-changing research and innovation that will produce a pipeline of high-quality research outcomes leading to socioeconomic impact, develop future global research leaders, create advanced tech spinout companies and high value-added jobs for Birmingham and the West Midlands region. Its establishment aligns perfectly with our 2030 strategy that positions Aston University as a leading university of science, technology and enterprise.” Steven Heales, Policy Manager (Innovation) at the West Midlands Combined Authority, said: “WMCA is delighted to see Research England back the Aston Institute for Membrane Excellence. This will enable Aston University’s excellent academics and research community to work closely with businesses to make advances in membrane technology and applications. “In 2023 the West Midlands Combined Authority agreed a Deeper Devolution Trailblazer Deal with Government, which included a new strategic innovation partnership with Government. Projects like AIME are exactly the kind of impact we expect this new partnership to generate, so watch this space.” Lisa Smith, chief executive of Midlands Mindforge, the patient capital investment company formed by eight Midlands research-intensive universities including Aston University, said: “This grant is an important vote of confidence in the Midlands scientific R&D ecosystem. AIME will play an important role in the future research of pioneering breakthroughs in membrane science and enable the world-leading research team at Aston University to develop solutions to real world problems. We look forward to closely working with the Institute and nurturing best-in-field research being undertaken at Aston out of the lab and into the wider society so it can make a positive impact”. Rob Valentine, regional director of Bruntwood SciTech, the UK’s leading developer of city-wide innovation ecosystems and specialist environments and a strategic partner in Birmingham Innovation Quarter, said: "As a proud supporter of the Aston Institute for Membrane Excellence (AIME), I am thrilled at the launch of this groundbreaking initiative. AIME exemplifies Aston University's commitment to advancing cutting-edge interdisciplinary research and further raises the profile of the region’s exemplary research capabilities and sector specialisms. AIME's vision of becoming a 'one-stop shop' for translational membrane research, strategically located at the heart of the country, aligns perfectly with our strategy at Bruntwood SciTech. We are committed to working with partners, including Aston University, to develop a globally significant innovation district at the heart of the UK where the brightest minds and most inspiring spaces will foster tomorrow’s innovation.” Membrane research at Aston University has also recently received two other grants. In November 2023, Professor Bill received £196,648 from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council’s Pioneer Awards Scheme to understand how tiny membrane water channels in brain cells keep brains healthy. In December 2023, a team led by AIME team-member Dr Derry received £165,999 from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council to develop biomimetic membranes for water purification. For more information about AIME, visit the webpage.
Aston University scientists to tackle challenges of converting rice straw into biofuels Researchers to examine issues that hinder conversion into an alternative fuel Will help protect global food security, minimise CO2 emissions and decrease farmland needed for growing energy crops. Aston University scientists are to tackle some of the challenges of how to make inedible rice straw into the next generation of biofuels. In recent years, biofuels and biobased chemicals have been blended with petrol to create a more sustainable alternative. The Aston University researchers are to examine issues that currently hinder the conversion of rice straw into an alternative fuel. Currently the production of biofuels mainly relies on sugar crops such as sugarcane and sugar beet, which raises major concern about the competition between growing crops for food or fuel. However plant dry matter such as rice straw is seen as a better alternative to current crops because it doesn’t affect food security. Rice straw is often treated as an agricultural waste by-product and is removed by burning in the field. Farmers burn straw to prepare to plough and sow rice credit: S.Narongrit99 The research is being led by Dr Alfred Fernandez-Castane, senior lecturer in biochemical engineering and principal investigator at the Energy and Bioproducts Research Institute (EBRI) at Aston University, alongside a Marie Curie fellow, Dr Longinus Igbojionu. Their two-year project, An integrated approach to ethanol production from rice straw via microwave-assisted deep eutectic solvent pretreatment and sequential cultivation using Candida tropicalis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, will explore cleaner and cost effective methods to extract rice straw’s energy-containing molecules. Dr Alfred Fernandez-Castane said: “The problems envisaged with the conversion of rice straw to ethanol can be categorised into four main challenges and resolving each challenge will lead to a major advance on the current state of the art. “The first is to develop pre-treatment conditions which will break down complex polymers thereby allowing the removal of lignin. “The next is to investigate novel biomass pre-treatment technologies combining green solvents and microwaves and how different methods affect morphology, structure and crystallinity of biomass. The next is to develop novel biotrasnformations using the yeasts Candida tropicalis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae to convert sugars into ethanol efficiently. “These three challenges will lead to the fourth scientific challenge which is to make the process sustainable and scalable, such as recycling the wastewater created and even the possibility of using the by-product of yeast for animal feeds.” The team believes that the research will help contribute to combating global warming and decreasing avoidable deaths by protecting global food security, minimising CO2 emissions by reducing the burning of straw and decreasing the farmland needed for growing energy crops. The research will end in November 2025.
Dangerous new COVID variant could overwhelm hospitals, weaken immunity
Two new studies have found that the new COVID variant BA.2.86 could lead to more severe diseases than other Omicron variants. Jennifer Horney, one of the leading experts on the COVID-19 pandemic, can discuss the new variant and its potential impact on the healthcare system. Horney, professor and founding director of the University of Delaware's epidemiology program, made the following points: There are spikes now in all respiratory infections across the U.S. High rates of COVID-19 and seasonal infuenza especially among children and older adults could stress healthcare systems. New subvariants of COVID-19 could be severe. High hospitalization rates are occurring in countries with far higher vaccination rates in the US, perhaps due to reduced immunity. We need to continue to track new variants and focus on developing updated vaccines. Continued mutations will mean less protection from infection among those who have prior infections and vaccinations. To set up an interview, visit Horney's profile and click on the contact button.
