SUTD researchers developed phase-change key for new hardware security

Peer-Reviewed Publication

SINGAPORE UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY AND DESIGN

 

IMAGE: GRAPHIC OF THE NEW TYPES OF PUF THAT CAN BE DESIGNED USING THE PHASE-CHANGE MATERIAL (PCM), BASED ON THE REVERSIBLE SWITCHING BETWEEN THE AMORPHOUS GLASSY STATE AND ORDERLY CRYSTAL STATE OF A CHALCOGENIDE LAYER, ALONG WITH SENSING DIFFERENT AS-DEPOSITED AMORPHOUS STATES, SHOWING A LARGE CONTRAST IN ELECTRICAL AND OPTICAL PROPERTIES (TOP PANEL). SCHEMATIC OF THE PRODUCT AUTHENTICATION CONCEPT (BOTTOM PANEL). view more 

CREDIT: SINGAPORE UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY AND DESIGN

As more and more data are being shared and stored digitally, the number of data breaches taking place around the world is on the rise. Scientists are exploring new ways to secure and protect data from increasingly sophisticated cyber attacks. A new type of reconfigurable, scalable, low power hardware security device with high resilience to AI attacks has been developed by researchers using phase-change materials. This research is led by Assistant Professor Desmond Loke from the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD).

 

Dr Loke said, “We developed a novel hardware security device that can eventually be implemented to protect data across sectors and industries, as breaches in private data have been ever-increasing.”

 

The device, known as the physical unclonable function (PUF), is a new type of phase-change PUF that is scalable, more energy-efficient and secure against AI attacks compared to traditional silicon PUFs. This is due to the electrical and physical properties of phase-change materials, along with the fabrication process.

 

The SUTD research team fabricated a group of phase-change devices, which switch reversibly between the glassy amorphous state and crystal orderly state. They then used the variation in the device’s electrical conductance to construct the PUF due to the inherent randomness arising from the manufacturing process, which is not shown by conventional silicon-based devices.

 

The researchers modelled the characteristics of actual phase-change devices to generate a simulation of many more phase-change-based PUFs. Dr Loke and his team used machine learning, a method that allows AI to study a system and find new patterns, to test the PUF’s security. To examine if the AI could use this training to make predictions about the encrypted key and reveal system insecurities, the researchers trained the AI with the phase-change PUF simulation data.

 

Dr Loke added, “Normal humans are not able to develop a model from a vast amount of data, but neural networks could. We also found that it was not possible for the encryption process to be learned and that the AI could not develop a model to decrypt the phase-change PUF.”

 

As potential hackers could not use the ‘stolen’ key to reverse engineer a device for future use, the resistance to machine learning attacks makes the PUF more secure. The phase-change PUF can also create a new key immediately through the reconfiguration mode if the key is hacked.

 

The phase-change PUF could be used in a variety of applications with these features, together with the capacity to operate at high temperatures. Future research can pave a way for its use in household devices, printable and flexible electronics and other devices.

 

The co-authors include Shao-Xiang Go, Qiang Wang, Kian Guan Lim, Natasa Bajalovic from SUTD, and Tae Hoon Lee from University of Cambridge.

 

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JOURNAL

Advanced Science

DOI

10.1002/advs.20220445 

ARTICLE TITLE

Ultrafast near-ideal phase-change memristive physical unclonable functions driven by amorphous state variations

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

13-Nov-2022

OHSU-developed brain surgery simulator proves valuable in nationwide test

Akin to pilots training on pre-flight simulators, new simulator for brain surgeons appears to be feasible on a large scale

Peer-Reviewed Publication

OREGON HEALTH & SCIENCE UNIVERSITY

 

IMAGE: NATHAN SELDEN, M.D., PH.D., WATCHES AS NEUROSURGERY RESIDENT STEPHEN BOWDEN, M.D., PRACTICES BRAIN SURGERY TECHNIQUES, AUG. 4, 2017, AT OREGON HEALTH & SCIENCE UNIVERSITY IN PORTLAND. A BRAIN SURGERY SIMULATOR DEVELOPED AT OHSU ALLOWS DOCTORS TO GAIN EXPERIENCE WITHOUT RISKING THE LIVES OF PATIENTS. view more 

CREDIT: OREGON HEALTH & SCIENCE UNIVERSITY

Hundreds of residents in neurological surgery across the United States trained on a first-of-its-kind simulator intended to mimic the type of real-life catastrophe they may face in operating rooms.

The nationwide study involved a total of 526 residents who trained on the simulator model while their heart rate was measured. Originally developed at Oregon Health & Science University, the simulator model appeared to be a feasible and cost-effective approach worthy of incorporating as part of standard training for neurosurgeons nationwide, according to a study published this month in the journal Operative Neurosurgery.

The model represents the first successful launch of a complex, multi-modal simulator at a specialty-wide, national scale.

The positive results were similar to a pilot study by OHSU researchers published in 2018.

“This study shows that simulation of real, complex situations in the neurosurgical operating room is feasible and economical across an entire specialty,” said senior author Nathan Selden, M.D., Ph.D., chair of neurological surgery in the OHSU School of Medicine. “These types of simulations for pilots have hugely reduced the rate of airline catastrophes in the past 50 years. We want to do the same for neurosurgical operations.”

The OHSU-developed simulator was tested nationally under the auspices of the Society of Neurological Surgeons, representing residency program directors and department chairs at academic health centers around the country. Selden and dozens of other educators ran the simulations at multiple sites nationwide.

Simulation exercises use a 3D-printed model of a brain, skull and membrane — complete with mock blood and patient monitors. The model was originally devised with Selden’s guidance by Dominic Siler, M.D., Ph.D., and Daniel Cleary, M.D., Ph.D., while they were students in the OHSU School of Medicine. Siler and Cleary are now residents in neurological surgery at OHSU, and were co-authors on the new study.

In fact, Siler envisions the potential for expanding the simulator concept to help in training not just surgeons, but also anesthesiologists and nurses working together in their respective jobs as a team in a high-stress scenario.

The study evaluated the feasibility of a simulator over current surgical training using cadavers.

“Cadavers will always be great for anatomy, but they don’t bleed and can’t die if you make mistakes, so no one is stressed out about that,” Siler said during a previous demonstration of the simulator in 2017.

The study was supported by the Society of Neurological Surgeons. Co-author H.E. Hinson, M.D., M.C.R., associate professor of neurology in the OHSU School of Medicine, reports funding from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke of the National Institutes of Health, award 1K23NS110828.

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JOURNAL

Operative Neurosurgery

DOI

10.1227/ons.0000000000000431 

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

Physiological responses and training satisfaction during national rollout of a neurosurgical intraoperative catastrophe simulator for resident training

A low-carbon energy transition may result in substantial emissions

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITAT AUTONOMA DE BARCELONA

A new ICTA-UAB study shows that the process of transitioning to a low-carbon energy system could lead to significant global emissions, consuming much of the remaining carbon budget, and thus leaving less emissions for socio-economic processes and activities than widely thought. The average emissions associated with a low-carbon energy transition amount to 195 gigatonnes of CO2, which equals approximately 0.1 °C of additional global warming.

These are the conclusions of a scientific study by the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (ICTA-UAB) and the University of Leeds conducted by researchers Aljoša Slameršak, Giorgos Kallis, and Daniel O’Neill, and published in Nature Communications.

The authors show that while the energy emissions associated with decarbonization are significant, the benefits of decarbonization still far outweigh the costs. The faster economies can decarbonise and reduce energy use, the better.

“Although the existing IPCC literature provides a range of emissions pathways compatible with 1.5 °C of global warming, it has so far remained unclear how much of these emissions will be tied to the transition, and how much of the emissions will remain for societal activities, such as transportation”, says Aljoša Slameršak, ICTA-UAB researcher and lead author of the study, who stresses that “emissions associated with the transition are substantial. However, the overall climate impact of these emissions is still small compared to the emissions avoided by rapid climate action over the long term. The main problem is not the climate impacts of the transition, but the impacts of inaction given how close to overshooting 1.5 °C we currently are.” 

A low-carbon energy transition will require major investments, not only financially, but also in terms of energy and materials. The global economy is still dependent on fossil fuels and the transition itself may become a significant source of emissions. In this study, the researchers calculate that the emissions associated with the transition range from 70 GtCO2 to 395 GtCO2, which roughly corresponds to 2‒11 times of the world’s total emissions in 2021.

Co-author Giorgos Kallis, also from ICTA-UAB, explains that “not all scenarios of a low-carbon energy transition are alike. Scenarios with low energy use and lots of renewable energy have much lower emissions associated with the transition. Other scenarios, however, that continue relying on fossil fuels, in the hope of sucking carbon out of the atmosphere later in this century, have a lot of emissions linked to the transition”. Kallis points out that, if governments are serious about tackling climate change, they should prioritise the reduction of energy use. “Relying on unproven solutions such as so-called ‘negative emissions’ is a risky strategy, not only because of the emissions that they themselves will cause.”

In contrast to what has been argued in previous studies, the authors find that a low-carbon energy transition would not necessarily reduce the efficiency of energy provisioning. Energy system efficiency declines in scenarios that rely on biofuels and fossil fuels with carbon capture and storage but remains stable or even increases in scenarios that push for renewable energy.

Co-author Daniel O’Neill, from the University of Leeds, concluded: “Our study shows that any viable pathway for avoiding dangerous climate change requires a decrease in energy use during the initial push for the transition. Continued growth in energy consumption is simply incompatible with the goal of a safe climate.”

Slameršak, A., Kallis, G. & Neill, D.W.O. Energy requirements and carbon emissions for a low-carbon energy transition. Nat Commun 13, 6932 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-33976-5

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JOURNAL

Nature Communications

DOI

10.1038/s41467-022-33976-5 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Computational simulation/modeling

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

Energy requirements and carbon emissions for a low-carbon energy transition

How well do state-of-the-art climate models simulate sea level?

Peer-Reviewed Publication

INSTITUTE OF ATMOSPHERIC PHYSICS, CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

 

IMAGE: GLOBAL SEA LEVEL CHANGES IN RECENT DECADES. COASTAL CITIES WITH RISING SEA LEVELS WILL BE MORE VULNERABLE TO ONGOING GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE. view more 

CREDIT: HONGYIN CHEN

According to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the global mean sea level has risen faster since 1900 than over any preceding century in the last 3000 years. This makes hundreds of coastal cities and millions of people vulnerable to a threat of higher water levels. State-of-the-art climate models provide a crucial means to study how much and how soon sea levels will rise. However, to what extent these models are able to represent sea level variations remains an open issue. Thus, they should be evaluated before they can be adopted to forecast future sea-level changes.

In a paper recently published in Atmospheric and Oceanic Science Letters, Dr Zhuoqi He from the South China Sea Institute of Oceanology led a team to assess the performance of climate models in simulating the sea level over the low-to-mid latitudes of the globe. The results indicated that the models simulated the long-term mean sea level relatively well. However, strong biases were apparent when the models tried to reproduce the sea level variance. For example, almost all of them underestimated the interannual signals over the subtropics where strong western boundary currents prevail.

“This bias is at least partially due to the misrepresentation of ocean processes because of the relatively low resolution of their historical simulations. We can see that the nearshore bias is reduced as the model resolution is increased,” explains Dr He.

“Understanding the causes of model misrepresentation is important towards improving the simulation skills of models, and our study helps in this respect by identifying a direction for future model development to reduce model biases.”

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JOURNAL

Atmospheric and Oceanic Science Letters

DOI

10.1016/j.aosl.2022.100288 

ARTICLE TITLE

Performance of CMIP6 models in simulating the dynamic sea level: Mean and interannual variance

Good intentions and missed opportunities: The educational experiences of young refugees

A new book by Annika Lems from the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology traces the educational paths of refugee youth arriving in Switzerland amid the shifting sociopolitical terrain of the refugee crisis

Book Announcement

MAX-PLANCK-GESELLSCHAFT

 

IMAGE: ANNIKA LEMS, FRONTIERS OF BELONGING: THE EDUCATION OF UNACCOMPANIED REFUGEE YOUTH, INDIANA UNIVERSITY PRESS, 2022. ISBN: 978-0-253-06178-2 view more 

CREDIT: MPI FOR SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY

When thousands of refugees began arriving in Europe in 2015, they were received with an outpouring of solidarity and assistance. Particular concern was directed towards the needs of children and teenagers traveling alone. Programmes were developed for them based on the vision of education as a path to rapid integration into the host society. Anthropologist Annika Lems conducted research among 16 of these young refugees. In her book Frontiers of Belonging: The Education of Unaccompanied Refugee Youth, published in July 2022, she analyses how this vision of belonging failed to materialize in many cases and what bureaucratic hurdles stood in the way of diversity and participation.

Social advancement through education – a false promise
As the situation in 2015 made clear, the social integration of refugees is a political task that European societies will have to grapple with for many years to come. The debates have been highly emotional and contentious. A plethora of studies have emerged as a result, looking at the social, legal and humanitarian aspects of the increasing numbers of refugees worldwide. “In spite of all these projects, however, there has been very little in-depth study of the lives of unaccompanied youth in Europe”, says Annika Lems, Research Group Head at the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology. In her recently published book Frontiers of Belonging: The Education of Unaccompanied Refugee Youth, she therefore presents the stories of 16 young people from Eritrea, Guinea, and Ethiopia and their experiences with the Swiss education system. “The state has a particular duty of care towards school-aged children, who have a right to the state’s educational offerings”, Lems explains. Based on a three-year anthropological research project carried out while working at the University of Bern, Lems analyses how the enthusiasm for integration in 2015 gradually transformed into ever-more-restrictive practices. Consequently, even those who successfully made their way through the educational system now often find themselves barred from the social opportunities promised to them.

Inclusive exclusion – invisible barriers
“My case study was carried out in Switzerland, but similar tendencies can be observed throughout Europe: the educational system is increasingly becoming an instrument of exclusion that serves to decide at an early age who belongs and who is left in the cold”, Lems says. It is precisely children’s special need for protection and the rights that go with this that have, over time, led to growing mistrust – for any supposed young person could in fact (so goes the populist discourse) be an adult “fake” or “economic” migrant who hopes to cheat their way into receiving European social welfare payments. “Those who nevertheless manage to be accepted into a regular school must then constantly demonstrate that they have actually earned this privilege and will not become a problem case who is a burden on the taxpayers’ pocketbooks”, Lems explains. “This constant scrutiny creates all-but-invisible barriers and results in young people never really properly belonging. Although they are within the system, they remain excluded.” As a result of this practice, many young people give up or rebel, which in turn leads to new forms of exclusion.

Inclusion through education – missed opportunities
Notwithstanding her criticisms of the policies and practices regarding these young people, Lems still finds reasons for hope in her book Frontiers of Belonging. Today, all of the 16 youth whose everyday school experiences she observed over the course of several months have completed vocational training and become integrated as members of Swiss society. “But the path was bumpy and much more difficult than it needed to be”, Lems comments. Opportunities were missed in the efforts to enable integration. Lems explains: “One young man from Eritrea already had an excellent educational foundation when he came to Switzerland. He was very ambitious and dreamed of attending a college-preparatory school and studying medicine. But this desire didn’t fit into the schema of his counsellors and teachers – everyone simply assumed he couldn’t manage to go to university, even though he had an ideal basis for being able to do so.” Instead, he was encouraged to pursue an apprenticeship as a plastics technician. Following completion of the apprenticeship, he now works in a company that manufactures medical products. “In other words, one can’t really say that inclusion through education was a failure, but the current practice means that many opportunities are missed to train these young people to become part of the next generation of highly skilled professionals. And this is something that European societies can’t really afford to do without.”

Researchers discovered Egypt’s oldest tomb oriented to winter solstice

Located in the necropolis of Qubbet el-Hawa, it is precisely oriented to the sunrise of the winter solstice, in such a way that the sun's rays bathed with its light the place that was intended to house the statue of a governor of the city of Elephantine

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF MALAGA

 

IMAGE: LOCATED IN THE NECROPOLIS OF QUBBET EL-HAWA (ASWAN), IT IS PRECISELY ORIENTED TO THE SUNRISE OF THE WINTER SOLSTICE, IN SUCH A WAY THAT THE SUN'S RAYS BATHED WITH ITS LIGHT THE PLACE THAT WAS INTENDED TO HOUSE THE STATUE OF A GOVERNOR OF THE CITY OF ELEPHANTINE, WHO LIVED AT THE END OF THE XII DYNASTY, AROUND 1830 B. C. view more 

CREDIT: UNIVERSITY OF JAEN AND MALAGA

Researchers of the University of Malaga (UMA) and the University of Jaen (UJA) have discovered Egypt’s oldest tomb oriented to the winter solstice. Located in the necropolis of Qubbet el-Hawa (Aswan), it is precisely oriented to the sunrise of the winter solstice, in such a way that the sun's rays bathed with its light the place that was intended to house the statue of a governor of the city of Elephantine, who lived at the end of the XII Dynasty, around 1830 b. C.

This way, the tomb perfectly registered the whole solar cycle, related to the idea of rebirth. While the winter solstice meant the beginning of the sunlight victory over darkness, the summer solstice generally coincided with the beginning of the annual flooding of the Nile, hence both events had an important symbolism linked to the resurrection of the deceased governor.

Perfection in the orientation

In this paper, recently published in the prestigious scientific journal Mediterranean Archaeology and Archaeometry, the researchers explain that, in order to achieve perfection in the orientation, the Egyptian architect simply used a two-cubit pole, around one meter long, a square and some robes, with which he was able to perfectly calculate the orientation of the funerary chapel and the location of the statue of the governor.

Moreover, they explain that the Egyptian architect not only achieved the perfect orientation, but also designed its volume with great precision, as determined in a previous paper published by the UJA in 2020 and signed by, among others, Professor Antonio Mozas –also author of this article–, which revealed that the volume of the tomb was perfectly calculated to avoid being coincident with any previous tomb.

The tomb of this governor, catalogued with No. 33, and possibly built by Governor Heqaib-ankh, was excavated by the UJA between 2008 and 2018. From that time on, it has been architecturally studied by different specialists, among them, the Professor of Architecture at the UMA Lola Joyanes, who has been participating in this project since 2015, working on her own line of research since 2019.

The work this researcher of the UMA has performed in the necropolis involves everything related to architecture and landscape, particularly, their study through drawing and photogrammetry.

Researchers of the University of Malaga (UMA) and the University of Jaen (UJA) have discovered Egypt’s oldest tomb oriented to the winter solstice

CREDIT

University of Malaga

A specific software to reproduce the position of the sun

The Andalusian scientists reached these conclusions thanks to the identification of the period where the tomb was built, which allowed them to use a specific software (Dialux Evo) that reproduces the position of the sun with respect to the horizon in ancient times.

“This study demonstrates that Egyptians were capable of calculating the position of the sun and the orientation of its rays to design their monuments. Although the tomb No. 33 of Qubbet el-Hawa is the oldest example ever found, certainly it is not the only one”, say the scientists.

This research has been financed by the Government of Andalusia within its projects “A way to immortality: beyond the preparation for death during Middle Kingdom at Qubbet el-Hawa (Aswan, Egypt)” of the University of Jaen and “Archaeology, Architecture and Landscape: typological evolution and state of conservation of tombs in the necropolis of Qubbet el-Hawa (Aswan, Egypt). Intervention criteria”.

Bibliography:

Mediterranean Archaeology and Archaeometry, Vol. 22, No 2, (2022), pp. 209-235.

DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6815469

Professor of Architecture at the UMA Lola Joyanes, who has been participating in this project since 2015, working on her own line of research since 2019 

UNIVERSITY OF MALAGA\

CAPTION

The work this researcher of the UMA has performed in the necropolis involves everything related to architecture and landscape, particularly, their study through drawing and photogrammetry.

CREDIT

University of Malaga

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METHOD OF RESEARCH

Experimental study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

SOLAR GEOMETRY AND THE ORGANIZATION OF THE ANNUAL CYCLE THROUGH ARCHITECTURE AND THE FUNERARY LANDSCAPE IN QUBBET EL HAWA

Sea level rise to dramatically speed up erosion of rock coastlines by 2100

Peer-Reviewed Publication

IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON

Imperial College London press release  

Sea level rise to dramatically speed up erosion of rock coastlines by 2100 

Rock coasts, which make up over half the world’s coastlines, could retreat more rapidly in the future due to accelerating sea level rise. 

This is according to new Imperial College London research that modelled likely future cliff retreat rates of two rock coasts in the UK. The forecasts are based on predictions of sea level rise for various greenhouse gas emissions and climate change scenarios.  

The study found that rock coasts, traditionally thought of as stable compared to sandy coasts and soft cliffs, are likely to retreat at a rate not seen for 3,000-5,000 years.  

At the UK study sites in Yorkshire and Devon, this will cause rock coast cliffs to retreat by at least 10-22 metres inland. The rate of erosion is likely between three and seven times today’s rate and potentially up to tenfold. 

Senior author Dr Dylan Rood, of Imperial’s Department of Earth Science said: “Coastal erosion is one of the greatest financial risks to society of any natural hazard. Some rock cliffs are already crumbling, and within the next century, rock coast erosion rates could increase tenfold. Even rock coasts that have been stable in the last hundred years will likely respond to sea level rise by 2030.” 

Globally, coasts are home to hundreds of millions of people and hundreds of billions of dollars of infrastructure like homes, businesses, nuclear power stations, transport links, and agriculture.  

The researchers are calling on policymakers, planners, and insurers to take action to classify rock coasts as high-risk areas in future planning for climate change response, as well as to limit climate change through achieving Net Zero as an immediate priority.  

Dr Rood added: “Rock coast erosion is irreversible: now is the time to limit future sea level rise before it’s too late. Humanity can directly control the fate of our coastlines by reducing greenhouse gas emissions — the future of our coasts is in our hands.” 

The research is published today in Nature Communications. 

A rocky road 

The new study is the first to validate models of the expected erosion of hard rock coasts from sea level rise using observational data over prehistoric timescales. Previous studies have mostly focused on theoretical models of soft, sandy coasts. The new results suggest that as sea levels continue to rise, the rate of rock coastal erosion will also accelerate. 

To study the future rate of erosion, the researchers looked at past and present cliff retreat rates on the coastlines near Scalby in Yorkshire and Bideford in Devon, finding that by 2100 they will likely retreat by 13-22m and 10-14m, respectively.  

They collected rock samples and analysed them for rare isotopes called cosmogenic radionuclides (CRNs) that build up in rocks exposed to cosmic rays. Concentrations of CRNs in rock reveal how quickly, and for how long, the rock has been exposed, reflecting the rate of erosion and retreat. 

They combined these data with observed coastal topography to calibrate a model that tracks the evolution of these rock coasts over time, before comparing them with rates of past sea level change dating back 8000 years. They found that the rate of coastal erosion on these two sites has closely matched the rate of sea level rise.  

The researchers say this is clear evidence of a causal relationship between cliff retreat and sea level from which future forecasts can be made, and that rock coasts are more sensitive to sea level rise than previously thought. The findings, they say, could be applied to rock coasts worldwide because the rock type is common globally, and similar hard rock coasts are likely to respond in a similar way to sea level rise. 

Lead author Dr Jennifer Shadrick, who conducted the work in Imperial’s Department of Earth Science and Engineering as a member of the NERC Science & Solutions for a Changing Planet Doctoral Training Partnership, and now works in the marine and coastal risk management team at JBA Consulting, said: “Sea level rise is accelerating, and our results confirm that rock coast retreat will accelerate in line with this. It isn’t a matter of if, but when. 

“The more positive news is that, now that we have a better idea of magnitudes and timescales, we can adapt accordingly. The more data we have on the effects of climate change on sea level rise and coastal erosion, the more we can prepare by championing urgent policies that protect coasts and their communities.” 

Sea level rise 

As the climate warms, sea levels are forecast to rise one metre by 2100 unless greenhouse gas emissions are reduced. 

This study is the first to confirm with observational data that the rate of past coastal erosion followed the rate of sea level rise over prehistoric timescales. The researchers say this erosion was driven by waves, which will likely get larger and more forceful as future sea level rises, and more land is given over to the sea. 

While this study looked at the effects of sea level rise, it did not account for the effects of stronger storms, which some studies forecast will happen more frequently due to climate change. Next, the researchers will adapt their model to also forecast the rate of cliff retreat for softer rock coasts, such as chalk. 

Dr Rood said: “Our study did not account for the effect of increased storms, which may become stronger and more frequent in the future as the climate changes, on wave-driven cliff erosion. However, increased storms would only speed up the cliff retreat even more than our forecasts. This is another angle to the climate crisis we will account for in future studies to give a more complete picture of likely rates of rock coast erosion. We are also looking to improve our models for softer rock coasts where erosion other than by waves is more important.” 

Dr Shadrick said: “The findings are a stark warning that we must better adapt to coastal retreat or face the loss of the people, homes, and infrastructure that call coastal areas home.” 

Study co-author Dr Martin Hurst at the University of Glasgow said: “The implication is that rock coasts are more sensitive to sea level rise than previously thought. We need to pay more attention to how our rock coasts continue to erode as sea levels rise. 

“Heightened erosion risks at our coasts will continue throughout this century. Even if we achieve Net Zero tomorrow, a substantive amount of sea level rise is already baked in as our climate, glaciers and oceans continue to respond to the emissions that have already taken place.”

This study was funded by the Natural Environmental Research Council (NERC), the British Geological Survey (BGS), and the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO). 

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JOURNAL

Nature Communications

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

Sea-level rise will likely accelerate rock coast cliff retreat rates

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

18-Nov-2022

LABs fermentation side-product positively influences rhizosphere and plant growth in greenhouse lettuce and tomatoes

Scientists at Università Cattolica at Piacenza have shown that they work as well as chemical fertilizers and can reduce their use by 30 percent.

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITA CATTOLICA DEL SACRO CUORE

Researchers from the Università Cattolica at Piacenza, have developed a new 'bio and green' fertilizer from food chain waste, specifically from the waste of the productions of lactic acid bacteria that currently have to be eliminated through purification processes.

This is the result of  the study published in the peer review journal Land and coordinated by Pier Sandro Cocconcelli, professor of Food Microbiology at the Faculty of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences at Cattolica University, and Edoardo Puglisi of the Department of Food Science and Technology for a Sustainable Food Supply Chain - DiSTAS. The study was carried out in collaboration with the company Sacco srl of Cadorago (CO) and the agronomic assay center LandLab srl of quinto Vicentino (VI); Gabriele Bellotti, a PhD student at the Agrisystem School of the Università Cattolica, is the first author.

LACTIC ACID BACTERIA

Lactic acid bacteria are a group of microorganisms capable of fermenting various substrates, giving rise to numerous products of interest to the agri-food and industrial sectors. Lactic acid bacteria are involved in the production of cheeses, fermented milks, and sausages.

"Lactic acid bacteria," Professor Cocconcelli says, "are produced for food and nutraceutical use, to produce foods, beverages and probiotics. Normally the waste from the culture substrate used in the production of lactic acid bacteria is cleared off by using purification plants; this is several thousand tons of waste produced each year in Italy."

THE HIGH ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF CHEMICAL FERTILIZERS

"The agricultural plant production sector is subject to new and complex challenges determined also by international economic and geopolitical conjunctures," Professor Pier Sandro Cocconcelli emphasizes, "as well as by an increasing attention of citizens and consumers towards environmental protection. The European Commission has committed, accordingly with the Farm to Fork strategy, to reduce by 2030the use of fertilizers by 20 percent, nutrient losses from the soil by 50 percent, and the use of chemical pesticides by 50 percent. Moreover, the geopolitical situation and especially the conflict in Ukraine have sharply raised prices of raw materials used in agriculture, starting with chemical fertilizers. "In this scenario, circular economy approaches, aimed at enhancing industrial waste by minimizing waste and reducing dependence on external inputs," Professor Cocconcelli says. 

THE STUDY.

The Italian researchers showed how it is possible to recycle waste from industrial production of lactic acid bacteria as fertilizers and biostimulants in agriculture. 

Specifically, the trials focused on greenhouse cultivation of tomatoes and lettuce and demonstrated how the use of these industrial wastes makes it possible to reduce the amount of chemical nitrogen fertilizers by 30 percent, without reducing production at all and also improving some physiological characteristics of the plant. 

In addition, they estimated that this approach could reduce by 40 percent greenhouse gas emissions associated with chemical fertilizer production. 

"Extensive chemical, microbiological and ecotoxicological analyses have ruled out any negative impact on the environment and soil, indeed showing effects of promoting microorganisms useful for plant growth and defense," Professor Edoardo Puglisi explains.

The advantage of using this fertilizer would be that it would simultaneously nourish the plant (with direct and indirect nutrients), the soil bacteria that have positive effects on the plant, and the soil itself (enriching the humification rate of the soil). "It would thus be an ecological fertilizer in the broadest possible meaning, able to stimulate the whole system and not just one organism at the expense of others," Professor Cocconcelli points out. 

"This study shows the ability of research in the agricultural sector to quickly provide solutions to contingent emergencies in the sector," Professor Puglisi concludes; it is also a virtuous example of technology transfer, demonstrated by the fact that the company Sacco srl involved in the project is now recycling more than 700 tons per year of residues from their production process with this approach.

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JOURNAL

Land

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Experimental study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Animals

ARTICLE TITLE

LABs Fermentation Side-Product Positively Influences Rhizosphere and Plant Growth in Greenhouse Lettuce and Tomatoes

MINING IS UNSUSTAINABLE

12.3 million EU project will digitize the mining industry and ensure increased sustainability

The Norwegian Geotechnical Institute will lead he high-level, industry-driven multidisciplinary consortium with partners from Norway, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Slovenia, and the Netherlands

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NORWEGIAN GEOTECHNICAL INSTITUTE

 

IMAGE: NGI'S SEAN SALAZAR (LEFT) WILL LEAD DINAMINE AND MAHDI SHABANIMASHCOOL IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PROJECT'S TECHNICAL CONCEPT. PHOTO: NGI. view more 

CREDIT: NGI

Today, Europe imports many of the mineral resources needed to produce everything from mobile phones, renewable energy, and modern defence equipment from, among other places, Asia. In the coming decades, it is expected that the need for minerals will increase heavily. In Europe, small and medium-sized mines account for more than half of the value added.

"These mines play a decisive role for Europe to become more independent of imports and more competitive in terms of sustainability – both economically and environmentally, but also socially, through responsible mining practices," says NGI's senior engineer Sean Salazar who will lead this 3.5-year project.

DINAMINE, which stands for "Digital and Innovative MINE of the future", is an Innovation Action that was recently granted under Horizon Europe, the EU's key funding programme for research and innovation. DINAMINE will develop an innovative and holistic mine management system that aims to change and modernize the industry.

"The keyword to bring about this paradigm shift is digitalization. With DINAMINE, we want to demonstrate how we can build a more sustainable industry through innovative solutions," states NGI's senior engineer Mahdi Shabanimashcool, who is responsible for the project's technical concept.

11 European project partners

In the next 3.5 years, NGI will lead the 12.3 million Euro project. The high-level, industry-driven multidisciplinary consortium is comprised of partners from Norway, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Slovenia, and the Netherlands. New technologies to be developed and demonstrated include:

• A smart database system for real-time integration of various types of information such as geological and geophysical data, mineral resources, geomechanics, mineral processing data, tailing and environmental data. The data system will be utilised in combination with the economical and practical factors for holistic mine planning, monitoring, and managing.
• A machine vision-based technology for improving rock engineering-related activities such as rock mass mapping, optimising rock blasting, and suggesting relevant stabilising measures. This will be achieved by incorporating the technology in a semi-autonomous jumbo drill.
• Real-time geomechanical monitoring technology for underground openings and open pits.

Besides having the role of project coordinator, NGI is responsible for developing major parts of the above-mentioned technologies. This development work will be led by Salazar (consortium lead) and Shabanimashcool (technical lead) and will involve multiple scientists with technical disciplines from across NGI.

The technology that will be developed will be tested at two demonstration sites in Norway and Portugal, under the auspices of Norwegian Skaland Graphite and Portuguese Felmica Minerais Industriais, respectively. The test sites have been selected to be representative of European regions, raw materials, and value chains.

Illustrative photo of mining. Photo: Abert Hyseni, Unsplash.

DINAMINE PROJECT PARTNERS:

Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (Norway)
Skaland Graphite AS (Norway)
Felmica Minerais Industriais SA (Portugal)
Worldsensing SL (Spain)
SINTEF Nord AS (Norway)
SINTEF AS (Norway)
SINTEF Helgeland AS (Norway)
National Institute of Chemistry (Slovenia)
AMV AS (Norway)
Ciaotech Srl (Italy)
SPECTRAL Industries BV (Netherlands)

 

CAPTION

Overview of partners in the EU-project DINAMINE.

CREDIT

NGI