What is the probability of ships becoming beset in ice in Arctic waters?

UNIVERSITY OF HELSINKI

Research News

 

IMAGE: THE POLAR SHIP CATEGORY OF A SHIP HAS A CRUCIAL IMPACT ON THE PROBABILITY OF BESETTING. SHIPS OF A LOWER CATEGORY ARE MOST AT RISK, AND MANY OF THEM BECOME... view more 

CREDIT: PHOTO: ARCTIA LTD

Statisticians have calculated the probability of ships of different Polar Ship Categories becoming beset in ice along the Northern Sea Route. Their data will help assess the risks of maritime traffic in the Arctic.

The results of the new study, published recently in the Cold Regions Science and Technology journal, will support safer maritime transport planning and the prevention of oil spills. The results will also benefit authorities that regulate maritime traffic by providing a foundation for statutes and legislation. A comprehensive approach to computing helps shipping companies plan transport routes.

Tankers more common on the Northern Sea Route

The Northern Sea Route is attracting more tankers and cargo ships travelling from Russia and Asia to Europe, and traffic is expected to increase along the route in tandem with global warming (Figure 1).

In the winter, the sea is frozen over, making it inaccessible to ships of a lower Polar Ship Category without the assistance of an icebreaker. Ships can also become beset in ice in the spring and summer, leading to transport delays. At its worst, ice may force a vessel off its course so that it runs aground, with disastrous consequences.

"This is the first time a comprehensive risk assessment of a besetting event was performed using open data only," says Assistant Professor of Statistics Jarno Vanhatalo, head of the Environmental and Ecological Statistics group and director of the Master's Programme in Life Science Informatics at the University of Helsinki.

The researchers used satellite data on ice conditions in Arctic marine areas as well as open data sources on shipping.

"One of the biggest tasks required the merger of open datasets so that analyses could be conducted. This task was performed by Aalto University. The statistical analyses were carried out at the University of Helsinki, using a traditional generalised linear model, to which a Bayesian approach was applied," Vanhatalo explains.

Ice conditions on northern maritime routes

"If we know the ice conditions prevailing in a specific area, which can usually be ascertained from satellite images, we can make a prediction for, say, today and for each point along the Northern Sea Route," states Vanhatalo. The prediction indicates the probability of a ship of a particular type becoming beset in ice in a particular area (Figure 2).

The Polar Ship Category of a ship has a crucial impact on the probability of besetting. Ships of a lower category are most at risk, and many of them become beset in ice each year.

The researchers also analysed the effect of ice concentration on the probability of besetting. Ice concentration indicates the share of the sea covered by ice. In the winter, ice concentration is 100%, whereas in the spring and summer it varies from 0% to 100%, which means that the marine area is a mosaic of ice floes and open water.

The probability of a ship becoming beset in ice increases the longer the distance it travels in ice-covered waters and also increases significantly with higher ice concentrations. There are also considerable differences between ships of different Polar Ship Categories. For the best vessels, i.e., Category A ships, the probability of besetting on a journey of 3,000 nautical miles (NM) in 90%-100% ice concentration is just 0.04. Correspondingly, the probability for Category B ships is 7.5 times higher, or 0.3, whereas the probability for Category C ships is 22.5 times higher, or 0.9.

The newly published study is part of an international long-term research project funded by the Lloyd's Register Foundation and aimed at improving maritime safety. Launched in 2003, the project will conclude at the end of 2021. Participants in the CEARCTIC and CEPOLAR projects, headed by Aalto University, include not only the University of Helsinki, but also the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), the Memorial University of Newfoundland in Canada, and the Hamburg University of Technology in Germany.

The University of Helsinki researchers have been responsible for assessing the impact of a potential oil spill on the Arctic environment and biotic communities. Previous publications have focused on species of organisms in the Kara Sea and the effects of an oil spill in the area. [link: https://www2.helsinki.fi/en/researchgroups/environmental-and-ecological-statistics/oil-spill-risk-analysis-in-the-arctic]

Although the research project is coming to a close, before the end of this year it will publish more statistical analyses of uncertainties associated with the modelling.

"Due to the limited measurement data available from Arctic marine areas, there are major uncertainties concerning shipping, living organisms and the behaviour of oil. Another major uncertainty relates to the natural stochasticity of highly unstable environmental conditions," Vanhatalo adds.

Another article currently being written explores the relative significances of factors affecting the overall risk as well as how risk analyses should be carried out and how the conclusions drawn differ depending on what is examined. Does the examination focus solely on the accident risk of vessels or also on the risk they pose to marine biotic communities? The results depend on whether both are examined separately or at the same time.

Other upcoming publications include summarising reports on the project as a whole and recommendations based on the research conducted

CAPTION

Figure 1. Development of shipping on the Northern Sea Route, 2013-2017, as indicated in the research data, distributed by Polar Ship Category (A = highest, C = lowest) as well as by distance travelled in open water and in ice.

CREDIT

Jari vanhatalo et al.

CAPTION

Figure 2. Probability of Category A ships becoming beset in ice on five shipping routes in the Kara Sea during different seasons. The figures indicate the probability of besetting when travelling a distance of five kilometres.

CREDIT

Credit: Vanhatalo et al. 2021

Reference:

Probability of a ship becoming beset in ice along the Northern Sea Route - A Bayesian analysis of real-life data. Jarno Vanhatalo, Juri Huuhtanen, Martin Bergström, Inari Helle, Jussi Mäkinen, Pentti Kujala https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coldregions.2021.103238

Cold regions science and technology, Volume 184, April 2021, 103238

Further information:

https://www2.helsinki.fi/en/researchgroups/environmental-and-ecological-statistics

https://www2.helsinki.fi/en/researchgroups/environmental-and-ecological-statistics/oil-spill-risk-analysis-in-the-arctic

Assistant Professor Jarno Vanhatalo, University of Helsinki
Email: jarno.vanhatalo@helsinki.fi
Phone: +358 503175494
https://www2.helsinki.fi/en/people/people-finder/jarno-vanhatalo-9118861

An agile superpower -- China's various roles in Africa and the Arctic

UIT THE ARCTIC UNIVERSITY OF NORWAY

 NEWS RELEASE 18-MAR-2021

Research News

 

IMAGE: CHRISTER HENRIK PURSIAINEN, PROFESSOR AT DEPARTMENT OF TECHNOLOGY AND SAFETY AT UIT THE ARCTIC UNIVERSITY OF NORWAY. view more 

CREDIT: UIT

- It is as if China is two completely different countries, if we look at how they appear in two such different cases as Africa and the Arctic, says Christer Henrik Pursiainen. He is a professor at the Department of Technology and Security at UiT The Arctic University of Norway.

According to Pursiainen, it is not just the temperature difference that separates Africa from the Arctic. It also provides a good opportunity to take a closer look at how China adapts to two completely different situations and how they use widely differing methods to gain influence.

Together with professors Rasmus Gjedssø Bertelsen from UiT and Chris Alden from the London School of Economics, he has published the article "The Arctic and Africa in China's Foreign Policy: How Different Are They and What Does This Tell Us?" in the journal Arctic Review on Law and Politics.

Economic growth provides calm

China will soon be the world's largest economy and many of the country's 1.4 billion inhabitants are experiencing a real increase when it comes to standard of living. The country's elite want to keep the Communist Party in power and to ensure inner peace and stability, they must ensure continuous economic growth.

- This is much of the reason why China is increasing its global presence. To ensure the legitimacy of the Communist Party, economic growth must be maintained. China's worst nightmare is that what happened in the Soviet Union will also happen there, says Pursiainen.

To ensure economic growth, China is completely dependent on international trade. They are the world's largest importer of raw materials and energy and are the world's largest trading nation. The vast majority of this trade goes by sea, and therefore it is absolutely crucial to secure and strengthen the transport of goods and services.

China therefore, in 2013, started what has gradually become known as the Belt and Road Initiative. As a modern silk road, trade, and the road to becoming the world's largest superpower, will be increased through a massive investment in the development of trade routes and infrastructure across large parts of the world.

- China knows very well that they will slowly but surely become the leading superpower for the next 100 years. It can only be delayed by the United States, but I think the chance of this is small. The United States has had its century, says Pursiainen.

He points out that China is not in a hurry, and that they may have a different perception of time than politicians in most Western countries.

- Chinese leaders are elected for life. And the Chinese look 50-100 years ahead in time and thousands of years back. They know they have been a great power - and will be again, he says.

A learning state

China gradually began its presence in Africa as early as the mid-1950s. At first modestly, but today China is Africa's largest trading partner, measured at $ 204 billion in 2018. Weak governance and little international control has given China great flexibility in how to position itself in Africa.

- China is a learning state and they began their relations with Africa a long time ago. They gradually started investing, and today Africa is a major borrower. China has become a power factor throughout Africa and Chinese companies and migrants have established themselves across the continent in telecommunications, ports, car factories, small farms and shops, says Pursiainen.

He believes that one of the reasons why China has gained so much influence and acceptance in the various African countries is that they are open about the intention not to export communism and that they do not in principle interfere in national politics. This has made it easier for heads of state to let them into their countries.

Over time, large Chinese investments have led to a relationship of dependence.

- It has turned into a relationship where many African countries have become dependent on Chinese support - and more specifically Chinese companies and people, says Pursiainen.

Must secure own investments

To ensure stability in the areas of Africa in which they operate, and to ensure trade flows and investments, China is choosing a proven method.

- They use the same tactics as the United States, with the establishment of military bases, they contribute with peacekeeping forces to the UN and the African Union (AU) and they have a number of "private" security companies, which are subordinate to the Communist Party, says Pursiainen.

In 2015, the Chinese established their first, and so far only, military base in Djibouti on the Horn of Africa. The base has about 10,000 soldiers and is closely linked to a major port project nearby. Although they claim this is primarily a logistics base and for defense against piracy in the area, it gives the Chinese authorities a significant military presence and a full overview of all ship traffic through the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

- They claim they are there to help and ensure stability, but this is a way for China to become a global superpower, says Pursiainen.

In addition, China has several agreements with various African countries when it comes to arms sales, military exercises and other forms of cooperation.

CAPTION

International collaboration led by The Chinese Arctic and Antarctic Administration (CHINARE).

CREDIT

Timo Palo/ CC BY-SA 3.

The Arctic

As China has gained a stronger voice in international politics in recent years, they have also turned their attention and interest to the Arctic and the opportunities that exist there.

The motivation is the same - to ensure economic growth and influence. But the approach China chooses is completely different. While they have been able to gain a foothold due to weak states and a poorly developed system of government in Africa, the situation is quite different in the north. The Arctic is surrounded by developed countries with established laws and regulations and is an area that has far greater international attention.

This means that China must seek influence by other means.

- Chinese foreign policy is very adaptable and flexible. They are very good at this. China has defined itself as a near-Arctic country. Of course they are not, but still they claim that right. And what we observe is that while China follows existing rules in the Arctic, they are actively working to influence and change them to their advantage, says Pursiainen.

China is doing this by engaging broadly in global organizations where they already have an important seat. This applies, for example, to the UN, where they are trying to influence the future use of the Arctic through both the Convention on the Law of the Sea and the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

The same applies to the Arctic Council. After gaining an ad-hoc role as an observer in 2007, China worked purposefully to gain a more permanent role in the Council. Despite the fact that this was first met with skepticism from Canada, Russia and the USA, they eventually gained a permanent place as an observer in 2013. Although this does not give China an active role in the decisions made, they get to legitimately participate in the debate on the future of the Arctic.

Important with laws and regulations

Although China claims that through increased presence in the Arctic, they can achieve win-win situations for everyone involved, those who are researching this are divided. Some push the alarm button, some are moderate, while others predict a more positive effect of China's entry into the Arctic.

While Chinese investment has to some extent been welcomed by the countries around the Arctic, many are concerned about the economic and political influence that may accompany such investments.

- If we are to learn from such a comparison between two continents as different as Africa and the Arctic, then that must be that it is important to secure and maintain strong regional and national institutions, based on laws and regulations. This will counteract any negative aspects of increased Chinese involvement, says Pursiainen.

He points out that it is crucial to ensure that China does not use its economic muscles to enter into agreements with countries in a vulnerable situation. This will create a dependency relationship, as seen in some African countries, where China gains too much power.

- What we are trying to say is that one should be happy that China is investing, also in the Arctic. But, we must be vigilant and not let them establish their own rules, says Pursiainen.

###

https://arcticreview.no/index.php/arctic/article/view/2440/5109

 

Illinois youth opioid use linked with other substance misuse, mental health issues

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURAL, CONSUMER AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

Research News

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IMAGE: UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS RESEARCHERS ALLEN BARTON (LEFT) AND DOUG SMITH FOUND OPIOID USE AMONG ILLINOIS HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TIED TO OTHER SUBSTANCE USE AND MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS. view more 

CREDIT: PHOTO: L. BRIAN STAUFFER, UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS.

URBANA, Ill. - Opioid use has dramatically increased in the 21st century, especially among young adults. A new study from the University of Illinois provides insights on usage patterns among Illinois high school students to help inform prevention and treatment strategies.

"The societal and personal costs of opioid misuse are massive. There's been a lot of focus on trying to understand how to combat the current epidemic. But we also need to make sure we have good data in order to know how we should apply our efforts," says Allen Barton, assistant professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies at U of I and lead author on the study.

The researchers based their study on information from the 2018 Illinois Youth Survey (IYS), which measures risk behaviors among high school students.

Over 230,000 students across Illinois typically participate in the biannual survey, says Doug Smith, professor of social work and director of the Center for Prevention Research and Development at U of I. Smith is co-author on the opioid study and principal investigator for the IYS.

The study focused on 18-to 19-year-olds, the beginning of a developmental stage when opioid use vulnerability is highest, Barton says.

Among the more than 26,000 respondents in this age group, 5.6% (1,468 youth) indicated they had used prescription pain medication in the past year without a prescription or differently than intended; that is, non-medical use of prescription opioids.

"Another 2.6% (682 youth) reported they had used prescription painkillers to get high. This addresses motive of use, which is an important part of understanding the issue," Barton says.

Finally, 0.4% of the sample (105 youth) reported they had used heroin in the past year. Heroin is another form of opioid that is not in the form of prescription medication, Barton notes.

The researchers found clear differences in characteristics of opioid users versus non-users.

"The individuals engaging in opioid use are also engaging in heightened levels of other forms of substance misuse, primarily alcohol and cannabis. They have more mental health concerns and higher suicide intent. And those who are using opioids report much lower grades and much higher levels of being victims of bullying," Barton says.

As opioid use is closely linked with other forms of substance misuse, counselors and medical practitioners should treat it as part of a pattern, Smith states. "This contradicts the typical image of a non-substance-using youth who one day decides to use opioids and then gets progressively addicted. That doesn't typically happen. These kids are already using other substances, often at levels indicative of problematic use. It seems more like a progression of general substance use than specific opioid usage," he notes.

The researchers also analyzed the data to look for profiles among the subset of youth using opioids.

"Our findings indicated three main profiles of individuals reporting opioid use. You have one group, comprising slightly more than half of this subsample, that's using opioids, but not specifically to get high. You have another group of individuals reporting a clear motive of use to get high. And a third, small group that's just using heroin," Barton notes.

While there were many similarities among the three groups, individuals who reported using opioids to get high also reported much more problematic substance abuse overall, as well as higher suicide risk compared to people who are engaged in non-medical use of prescription opioids without such motive, Smith adds.

The researchers say their study shows opioid use is a complex issue which needs tailored approaches to treatment and prevention.

"In order to address opioid use at this developmental stage, which is a transition to adulthood, we need to realize it is indicative of a broader pattern of factors related to other substance use and mental health issues that require attention. A one-step approach to just address the opioid use may not be sufficient," Barton states.

"The good news in this data is that opioid use rates are very low for this demographic across the state. However, for a subset of youth who do use, it appears to be making a difficult situation all the more challenging."

Barton and Smith say the correlation with other forms of substance misuse can help identify opioid use at an early stage.

"For any youth who is getting treatment for another substance, we need to be screening for whether they're using opioids, and we need to have a prevention program within a treatment program," Smith says.

###

The IYS is administered every other year to schools across Illinois. Survey reports are available at the Illinois Youth Survey website. Schools can also register online for participation.

The Department of Human Development and Family Studies is in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois.

The paper, "Opioid use at the transition to emerging adulthood: A latent class analysis of non-medical use of prescription opioids and heroin use," is published in Addictive Behaviors. [DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2020.106757]

Authors include Allen Barton, Crystal Reinhart, Corey Campbell, and Doug Smith.

Support for the development of this article was provided by the Illinois Department of Human Services (#43CZZ03292; PI: Smith). The views expressed by the authors are their own, however, and do not reflect official positions of the State of Illinois.

 

Study shows stronger brain activity after writing on paper than on tablet or smartphone

Unique, complex information in analog methods likely gives brain more details to trigger memory

UNIVERSITY OF TOKYO

Research News

 

A study of Japanese university students and recent graduates has revealed that writing on physical paper can lead to more brain activity when remembering the information an hour later. Researchers say that the unique, complex, spatial and tactile information associated with writing by hand on physical paper is likely what leads to improved memory.

"Actually, paper is more advanced and useful compared to electronic documents because paper contains more one-of-a-kind information for stronger memory recall," said Professor Kuniyoshi L. Sakai, a neuroscientist at the University of Tokyo and corresponding author of the research recently published in Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience. The research was completed with collaborators from the NTT Data Institute of Management Consulting.

Contrary to the popular belief that digital tools increase efficiency, volunteers who used paper completed the note-taking task about 25% faster than those who used digital tablets or smartphones.

Although volunteers wrote by hand both with pen and paper or stylus and digital tablet, researchers say paper notebooks contain more complex spatial information than digital paper. Physical paper allows for tangible permanence, irregular strokes, and uneven shape, like folded corners. In contrast, digital paper is uniform, has no fixed position when scrolling, and disappears when you close the app.

"Our take-home message is to use paper notebooks for information we need to learn or memorize," said Sakai.

In the study, a total of 48 volunteers read a fictional conversation between characters discussing their plans for two months in the near future, including 14 different class times, assignment due dates and personal appointments. Researchers performed pre-test analyses to ensure that the volunteers, all 18-29 years old and recruited from university campuses or NTT offices, were equally sorted into three groups based on memory skills, personal preference for digital or analog methods, gender, age and other aspects.

Volunteers then recorded the fictional schedule using a paper datebook and pen, a calendar app on a digital tablet and a stylus, or a calendar app on a large smartphone and a touch-screen keyboard. There was no time limit and volunteers were asked to record the fictional events in the same way as they would for their real-life schedules, without spending extra time to memorize the schedule.

After one hour, including a break and an interference task to distract them from thinking about the calendar, volunteers answered a range of simple (When is the assignment due?) and complex (Which is the earlier due date for the assignments?) multiple choice questions to test their memory of the schedule. While they completed the test, volunteers were inside a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner, which measures blood flow around the brain. This is a technique called functional MRI (fMRI), and increased blood flow observed in a specific region of the brain is a sign of increased neuronal activity in that area.

Participants who used a paper datebook filled in the calendar within about 11 minutes. Tablet users took 14 minutes and smartphone users took about 16 minutes. Volunteers who used analog methods in their personal life were just as slow at using the devices as volunteers who regularly use digital tools, so researchers are confident that the difference in speed was related to memorization or associated encoding in the brain, not just differences in the habitual use of the tools.

Volunteers who used analog methods scored better than other volunteers only on simple test questions. However, researchers say that the brain activation data revealed significant differences.

Volunteers who used paper had more brain activity in areas associated with language, imaginary visualization, and in the hippocampus -- an area known to be important for memory and navigation. Researchers say that the activation of the hippocampus indicates that analog methods contain richer spatial details that can be recalled and navigated in the mind's eye.

"Digital tools have uniform scrolling up and down and standardized arrangement of text and picture size, like on a webpage. But if you remember a physical textbook printed on paper, you can close your eyes and visualize the photo one-third of the way down on the left-side page, as well as the notes you added in the bottom margin," Sakai explained.

Researchers say that personalizing digital documents by highlighting, underlining, circling, drawing arrows, handwriting color-coded notes in the margins, adding virtual sticky notes, or other types of unique mark-ups can mimic analog-style spatial enrichment that may enhance memory.

Although they have no data from younger volunteers, researchers suspect that the difference in brain activation between analog and digital methods is likely to be stronger in younger people.

"High school students' brains are still developing and are so much more sensitive than adult brains," said Sakai.

Although the current research focused on learning and memorization, the researchers encourage using paper for creative pursuits as well.

"It is reasonable that one's creativity will likely become more fruitful if prior knowledge is stored with stronger learning and more precisely retrieved from memory. For art, composing music, or other creative works, I would emphasize the use of paper instead of digital methods," said Sakai.

###

This research is a peer-reviewed, experimental study on people published in Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience. Funding was provided by the Consortium for Applied Neuroscience at NTT Data Institute of Management Consulting, Inc. The funder was not involved in the study design, collection, analysis, interpretation of data, the writing of the research paper, or the decision to submit it for publication.

Research Publication

Keita Umejima, Takuya Ibaraki, Takahiro Yamazaki, and Kuniyoshi L. Sakai. 19 March 2021. Paper Notebooks vs. Mobile Devices: Brain Activation Differences During Memory Retrieval. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience. DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.634158

Related Links

Sakai lab: https://www.sakai-lab.jp/english/

Graduate School of Arts and Sciences: https://www.c.u-tokyo.ac.jp/eng_site/

Research Contact

Professor Kuniyoshi L. Sakai
Department of Basic Science, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences,
The University of Tokyo,
3-8-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8902, JAPAN
Tel: +81-03-5454-6261
Email: kuni@sakai-lab.jp

Press Officer Contact

Ms. Caitlin Devor
Division for Strategic Public Relations,
The University of Tokyo,
7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 133-8654, JAPAN
Tel: +81-080-9707-8178
Email: press-releases.adm@gs.mail.u-tokyo.ac.jp

About the University of Tokyo

The University of Tokyo is Japan's leading university and one of the world's top research universities. The vast research output of some 6,000 researchers is published in the world's top journals across the arts and sciences. Our vibrant student body of around 15,000 undergraduate and 15,000 graduate students includes over 4,000 international students. Find out more at http://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/ or follow us on Twitter at @UTokyo_News_en.

Funders

Consortium for Applied Neuroscience, NTT Data Institute of Management Consulting, Inc.

Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.

 

Real "doodles of light" in real-time mark leap for holograms at home

Fast line-based algorithm turns hand-writing into holograms using standard CPUs

TOKYO METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY

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Volume 90%

 

VIDEO: HANDWRITING ON A TABLET IS CONVERTED INTO 3D IMAGES IN REAL-TIME USING A STANDARD DESKTOP PC. view more 

CREDIT: TOKYO METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY

Tokyo, Japan - Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have devised and implemented a simplified algorithm for turning freely drawn lines into holograms on a standard desktop CPU. They dramatically cut down the computational cost and power consumption of algorithms that require dedicated hardware. It is fast enough to convert writing into lines in real-time, and makes crisp, clear images that meet industry standards. Potential applications include hand-written remote instructions superimposed on landscapes and workbenches.

Flying cars, robots, spaceships...whatever sci-fi future you can imagine, there is always a common feature: holograms. But holography isn't just about aesthetics. Its potential applications include important enhancements to vital, practical tasks, like remote instructions for surgical procedures, electronic assembly on circuit boards, or directions projected on landscapes for navigation. Making holograms available in a wide range of settings is vital to bringing this technology out of the lab and into our daily lives.

One of the major drawbacks of this state-of-the-art technology is the computational load of hologram generation. The kind of quality we've come to expect in our 2D displays is prohibitive in 3D, requiring supercomputing levels of number crunching to achieve. There is also the issue of power consumption. More widely available hardware like GPUs in gaming rigs might be able to overcome some of these issues with raw power, but the amount of electricity they use is a major impediment to mobile applications. Despite improvements to available hardware, the solution is not something we can expect from brute-force.

A key solution is to limit the kind of images that are projected. Now, a team led by Assistant Professor Takashi Nishitsuji have proposed and implemented a solution with unprecedented performance. They specifically chose to exclusively draw lines in 3D space. Though this may sound drastic at first, the number of things you can do is still impressive. In a particularly elegant implementation, they connected a tablet to a PC and conventional hologram generation hardware i.e. a laser and a spatial light modulator. Their algorithm is fast enough that handwriting on the tablet could be converted to images in the air in real-time. The PC they used was a standard desktop with no GPU, significantly expanding where it might be implemented. Though the images were slightly inferior in quality to other, more computationally intensive methods, the sharpness of the writing comfortably met industry standards.

All this means that holograms might soon be arriving in our homes or workplaces. The team is especially focused on implementations in heads-up displays (HUDs) in helmets and cars, where navigation instructions might be displayed on the landscape instead of voice instructions or distracting screens. The light computational load of the algorithm significantly expands the horizons for this promising technology; that sci-fi "future" might not be the future for much longer.

###

This work was supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (20K19810, 19H01097), the Inoue Foundation for Science, the Takayanagi Kenjiro Foundation and Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (12ZQ220N, VS07820N).

 

Christmas Island reptile-killer identified

Bacterium responsible for deaths of critically endangered species

UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY

Research News

 

IMAGE: ONE OF THE AUSTRALIAN-NATIVE, CRITICALLY ENDANGERED LIZARD SPECIES: LISTER'S GECKO. view more 

CREDIT: PARKS AUSTRALIA.

Native reptile populations on Christmas Island have been in severe decline with two species, Lister's gecko and the blue-tailed skink, entirely disappearing from the wild. While previously the main driver for this decline is likely predation by invasive species and habitat destruction, a silent killer is now threatening to wipe the species out entirely.

Those bred in captivity on the Australian Territory in the Indian Ocean have also been mysteriously dying, leaving the two species - which number only around 1000 each - in danger of extinction. Veterinary scientists from the University of Sydney, the Australian Registry of Wildlife Health and the Taronga Conservation Society Australia have now discovered the cause of these deaths: a bacterium, Enterococcus lacertideformus (E. lacertideformus).

The bacterium was discovered in 2014 after captive reptiles presented with facial deformities and lethargy, and some even died. Samples were collected and analysed using microscopy and genetic testing.

The researchers' findings, published in Frontiers in Microbiology, will inform antibiotic trials on the reptiles to see if the infection can be treated.

The bacterium grows in the animal's head, then in its internal organs, before eventually causing death. It can be spread by direct contact - including through reptiles' mouths, or via reptiles biting one another - often during breeding season fights.

"This means that healthy captive animals need to be kept apart from infected ones and should also be kept away from areas where infected animals have been," said Jessica Agius, co-lead researcher and PhD candidate in the Sydney School of Veterinary Science.

CAPTION

Infected gecko displaying severe head and facial swelling associated with Enterococcus lacertideformus infection.

CREDIT

Jessica Agius.

Ms Agius and the research team not only identified the bacterium, they decoded its genetic structure using whole genome sequencing.

Specific genes were identified that are likely to be associated with the bacterium's ability to infect its host, invade its tissues and avoid the immune system.

"We also found that the bacterium can surround itself with a biofilm - a 'community of bacteria' that can help it survive," Ms Agius said.

"Understanding how E. lacertideformus produces and maintains the biofilm may provide insights on how to treat other species of biofilm-forming bacteria."

The search of the genetic code suggested that the killer bacterium was susceptible to most antibiotics.

Professor David Phalen, research co-lead and Ms Agius' PhD supervisor, said: "This suggests that infected animals might be successfully treated. That's what we need to determine now."

In another effort to protect the endangered reptiles on Christmas Island, a population of blue-tailed skinks has been established on the Cocos Islands. Ms Agius played a critical role in the translocation, testing reptiles on the Cocos Islands to make sure that they were free of E. lacertideformus.

"It's critical we act now to ensure these native reptiles survive," Ms Agius said.

CAPTION

PhD researcher Jessica Agius spotlighting critically endangered lizards in the field on Christmas Island to find out if they are infected with Enterococcus lacertideformus.