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Complete mitochondrial genome analyses confirm that bat Polychromophilus and ungulate Plasmodium constitute a distinct clade independent of other Plasmodium species
Abstract In recent phylogenetic studies, bat Polychromophilus and ungulate Plasmodium, two relatively understudied haemosporidian parasites within the Apicomplexa phylum, have often been overlooked. Instead, the focus has been primarily on haemosporidian parasites in primates, rodents, and birds. Several phylogenetic analyses of bat Polychromophilus have relied on limited datasets and short informative DNA sequences. As a…
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Openly accessible LLMs can help us to understand human cognition
Large language models can be construed as ‘cognitive models’, scientific artefacts that help us to understand the human mind. If made openly accessible, they may provide a valuable model system for studying the emergence of language, reasoning and other uniquely human behaviours. Scientists routinely use models that are simpler than the system being studied. Models…
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Surfing’s mental health benefits boost economy by $1T
Newswise — New research led by Griffith University on Australia’s Gold Coast and Andrés Bello University in Chile, has shown that surfing contributes about US$1 trillion a year to the global economy, by improving the mental health of surfers. For the Gold Coast alone, the research team estimated the benefits to be valued at ~US$1.0–3.3…
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Living in a brave new AI era
Although artificial intelligence (AI) was already ubiquitous, the recent arrival of generative AI has ushered in a new era of possibilities as well as risks. This Focus explores the wide-ranging impacts of AI tools on science and society, examining both their potential and their pitfalls. No AI tool was used to write this editorial. Twelve…
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Inequalities in noise will affect urban wildlife
Abstract Understanding how systemic biases influence local ecological communities is essential for developing just and equitable environmental practices that prioritize both human and wildlife well-being. With over 270 million residents inhabiting urban areas in the United States, the socioecological consequences of racially targeted zoning, such as redlining, need to be considered in urban planning. There is…
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Progress on plastic pollution treaty too slow, scientists say
The world produces more than 450 million tonnes of plastic each year. Here, a worker sorts plastic bottles at a recycling plant in Nakuru, Kenya.Credit: James Wakibia/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Scientists rallied last week to support delegates working on a global treaty to eliminate plastic pollution at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) headquarters in…
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Thirteen Doherty Institute scientists recognised as Highly Cited Researchers for 2023
Thirteen researchers at the Doherty Institute have been named on the prestigious Clarivate’s list of Highly Cited Researchers in 2023, for having produced multiple highly-cited papers that rank in the top 1 per cent by citations for field and year over the past decade. The Institute has been home to highly recognised scientific researchers for…
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AI and imaging-based cancer screening: getting ready for prime time
New data show that AI could enhance imaging-based screen for pancreatic cancer; however, its evaluation must be rigorous and adhere to the same standards used for conventional screening. In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) has become a pervasive element of our lives. Consciously or unconsciously, we interact with AI techniques when using search engines on…
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Eavesdropping on plant chatter
I became deaf after a high malarial fever when I was three. I was living in Sierra Leone, but, at age 12, my parents sent me to the United States to be adopted by a family friend. Before learning American Sign Language at 15, I communicated in gestures and relied on advocates at school. I…
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Looking at frailty and intrinsic capacity through a geroscience lens: the ICFSR & Geroscience Task Force
On 22 March 2023, the Geroscience Translational Research & International Conference on Frailty and Sarcopenia Research (ICFSR) Task Force met in Toulouse, France to discuss avenues to foster the development of intrinsic capacity and frailty clinical trials under a geroscience perspective. A synthesis of these discussions and a set of recommendations are presented in this…