FAU Engineering designs new autonomous system to monitor Arctic’s melting ice

Florida Atlantic University

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The conceptual design features a small waterplane area twin hull vessel that acts as a docking and charging station for autonomous underwater vehicles and unmanned aerial vehicles, using solar and turbine energy to enable continuous monitoring.

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Credit: Florida Atlantic University

The rapid melting and thinning of the Arctic ice have sparked serious concerns in the scientific community. In addition, sea ice thickness also has decreased, which makes ice cover more vulnerable to warming air and ocean temperature.

Understanding the ecological role of sea ice in the Arctic is crucial, particularly because the extent of sea ice in the region has been decreasing at an unprecedented rate. What would happen to the Arctic marine ecosystem if the sea ice melted even faster? To answer these questions, a long-term monitoring and data collection system is necessary in the harsh Arctic environment.

However, direct observation is challenging as satellite sensors have a coarse spatial resolution and cannot detect the fine fractal structure of the ice. Deploying human-crewed ships to the area also is difficult due to extreme weather conditions and obstacles posed by floating broken ice. Moreover, traditional ocean observation methods offer limited temporal and spatial coverage, while drones and autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) are hindered by energy constraints that restrict their research potential.

To overcome these challenges, researchers from the College of Engineering and Computer Science at Florida Atlantic University have proposed a design of an alternative, autonomous observational method, which holds promise for improving the autonomy of marine vehicles, aiding in maritime missions, and gaining a deeper understanding of how melting Arctic sea ice affects marine ecosystems.

Their conceptual design features a small waterplane area twin hull (SWATH) vessel that acts as a docking and charging station for AUVs and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The SWATH ship is engineered for exceptional stability, allowing it to navigate through melting ice and operate in a wide range of sea conditions. It is designed to be self-sufficient, utilizing automated sailing, solar panels and an underwater turbine positioned between its twin hulls to generate and store energy, ensuring continuous mission support even when sailing against ocean currents.

Unlike prior platforms, the system designed by the FAU researchers will use advanced technology to monitor the Arctic Ocean from the air, water surface and underwater. The new unmanned surface vehicle (USV) design is specifically tailored for the project to ensure stability in Arctic conditions and handle high wind speeds. The observation platform system’s main objective is to investigate the melting sea ice area. Wind energy will be harnessed to facilitate sailing in the Arctic water, while an underwater turbine will generate sufficient energy to sustain the system’s operations.

Results of the study, published in the journal Applied Ocean Research, show that using the motion of a wind-driven sailboat to generate power from the turbine beneath the SWATH is a feasible way to support long-term Arctic Ocean monitoring missions. The design integrates with the environment it monitors, offering new data on Arctic Sea ice melt beyond what satellites and manned ships can provide.

“Our proposed autonomous observation platform system offers a comprehensive approach to studying the Arctic environment and monitoring the impact of melting sea ice,” said Tsung-Chow Su, Sc.D., senior author and a professor in FAU’s Department of Ocean and Mechanical Engineering. “Its design and capabilities make it well-suited to overcome the challenges of the Arctic’s unique conditions. By providing a self-sustaining platform for continuous data collection, this design supports scientific research, environmental protection and resource management, laying the foundation for year-round monitoring of the Arctic.”

The FAU-designed vessel is essential for marine data collection, integrating UAVs and AUVs for real-time monitoring, resource exploration and research. The UAVs use high-resolution cameras and sensors for mapping and navigation, while AUVs gather underwater data. The DJI Dock 2 system enables UAVs to autonomously land, recharge and redeploy, while an advanced underwater docking system allows AUVs to refuel and transfer data, extending their range. Survey instruments in the underwater hulls collect mission-specific data, which is processed onboard and transmitted via satellite, enabling long-term, unmanned ocean monitoring.

As a self-sustaining platform, wind energy and marine current energy will be applied in this design to achieve the purpose of long-term monitoring in the Arctic Ocean. A dimensionless formula has been developed to estimate the minimum sail area required for varying sizes of SWATH in combination with a wind-driven power system.

“Our researchers have developed an innovative observation system tailored to the Arctic environment, offering critical data on sea ice melt that satellites and manned vessels are unable to capture. Long-term monitoring is essential, as it provides deeper insights into the lasting impacts of Arctic sea ice loss, which can guide informed policy and management decisions,” said Stella Batalama, Ph.D., dean of the FAU College of Engineering and Computer Science. “Additionally, there remains much to uncover about Arctic phytoplankton and algae, which play a crucial role in the food web and influence ocean-atmosphere interactions. This new system could enhance our scientific understanding of their ecological significance while supporting Alaska’s indigenous communities in adapting to future changes in wildlife and food resources.”

First author of the study is Wenqiang Xu, Ph.D., a doctoral degree graduate of FAU’s Department of Ocean and Mechanical Engineering.

The conceptual design features a small waterplane area twin hull vessel that acts as a docking and charging station for autonomous underwater vehicles and unmanned aerial vehicles, using solar and turbine energy to enable continuous monitoring.

Credit

Florida Atlantic University

- FAU -

About FAU’s College of Engineering and Computer Science:

The FAU College of Engineering and Computer Science is internationally recognized for cutting-edge research and education in the areas of computer science and artificial intelligence (AI), computer engineering, electrical engineering, biomedical engineering, civil, environmental and geomatics engineering, mechanical engineering, and ocean engineering. Research conducted by the faculty and their teams expose students to technology innovations that push the current state-of-the art of the disciplines. The College research efforts are supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Department of Defense (DOD), the Department of Transportation (DOT), the Department of Education (DOEd), the State of Florida, and industry. The FAU College of Engineering and Computer Science offers degrees with a modern twist that bear specializations in areas of national priority such as AI, cybersecurity, internet-of-things, transportation and supply chain management, and data science. New degree programs include Master of Science in AI (first in Florida), Master of Science and Bachelor in Data Science and Analytics, and the new Professional Master of Science and Ph.D. in computer science for working professionals. For more information about the College, please visit eng.fau.edu. 

 

About Florida Atlantic University:
Florida Atlantic University, established in 1961, officially opened its doors in 1964 as the fifth public university in Florida. Today, the University serves more than 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students across six campuses located along the southeast Florida coast. In recent years, the University has doubled its research expenditures and outpaced its peers in student achievement rates. Through the coexistence of access and excellence, FAU embodies an innovative model where traditional achievement gaps vanish. FAU is designated a Hispanic-serving institution, ranked as a top public university by U.S. News & World Report and a High Research Activity institution by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. For more information, visit www.fau.edu.

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Journal

Applied Ocean Research

DOI

10.1016/j.apor.2024.104316 

Method of Research

Computational simulation/modeling

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

A self-sustaining autonomous system for long-term Arctic monitoring

 

US Victim-shooter relationships in mass shootings involving child victims

JAMA Pediatrics

About Te Study: 

The findings of this study indicate that from 2009 through 2020, a child was most likely to be killed in a mass shooting by a parent or family member, rather than a stranger or a peer. While school shootings dominate media coverage, this study suggests that domestic violence plays a larger role in child mass shootings.

Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Stephanie Chao, MD, email sdchao1@stanford.edu.

To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/

(doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2024.6609)

Editor’s Note: Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, conflict of interest and financial disclosures, and funding and support.

#  #  #

Embed this link to provide your readers free access to the full-text article This link will be live at the embargo time

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Journal

JAMA Pediatrics

FOR PROFIT HEALTHCARE

U$ Health care company payouts favor shareholders, new research shows

Yale University

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It’s widely recognized that health care is a growing expense for many Americans. However, what health care companies do with their profits — some made through government programs such as Medicare — remains murky.

To investigate this question, researchers at Yale School of Medicine (YSM) analyzed financial reports from 92 large U.S. health care companies. The results were published on Feb. 10 in a research letter in JAMA Internal Medicine.

The research team focused on U.S. health care companies on the Standard & Poor’s 500 (S&P 500), which follows the 500 largest companies traded on stock exchanges, to see how much money was spent on shareholder payouts in the last two decades. The analysis included pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, insurance companies, medical-supply companies, and large health care facilities such as for-profit hospitals.

Over the past 20 years, health care companies spent 95% of their net income on shareholder payouts, totaling up to $2.6 trillion, according to the research findings. Shareholder payouts also tripled over this period — a trend largely shaped by a few powerful pharmaceutical companies, the research team noted.

These findings reveal that “funds are being distributed back out to shareholders rather than being put back into the health care system,” says Dr. Cary Gross, senior author of the study and professor of medicine at YSM. These decisions directly impact the health and health care of regular Americans, he says.  

Tracking taxpayer money that funds health care

Health care is one of the largest sectors of the U.S. economy. In 2023, health care accounted for 17% of the country’s gross domestic product, the total monetary value of all goods and services provided during that year.

Of the $5 trillion spent by the United States on health care in 2023, roughly 70% was funded “in some shape or form” by taxpayer money, says Gross. This includes tax breaks for employer-based health insurance as well as direct funding via Medicare and Medicaid.

As insurance premiums and drug prices have risen in recent years, pharmaceutical companies often argue that drug prices are high because of the up-front cost of research and development, says lead author Dr. Victor Roy, who completed the research while a fellow at YSM and is now an assistant professor of family medicine and community health at the University of Pennsylvania.

However, while researching one health care company, Roy noticed that most of the profits from a new medication went to shareholder payouts rather than reimbursing the cost of development.

During his tenure in the National Clinician Scholars Program at YSM, Roy worked with Gross to collect data on 92 S&P 500 health care companies between 2001 and 2022 to see whether a similar trend could be spotted among other large health care companies in the U.S. economy. The team focused on two types of payouts: dividends, where profits go directly to shareholders, and buybacks, where companies buy their own shares to increase their value.

Regulating profits to support health care

The team found that, similarly to tech and finance, most of the profits realized by health care companies were redistributed to shareholders. Overall, shareholder payouts increased 315% between 2001 and 2022 — a trend driven in part by 19 health care companies on the S&P 500 that accounted for 80% of the total payouts over this period.  

The decision to prioritize shareholder payouts over reinvesting in health care by this small group of powerful companies likely influences the cost of health care for many Americans, says Roy.

“When shareholders expect greater payouts year in and year out, that has an impact on affordability,” he says. “One of the ways that [health care companies] make money is to keep prices high — or raise them.”

Because so much money in the health care industry comes from taxpayers, the United States could regulate the industry differently than they do other sectors, says Gross. For example, lawmakers could require some profits to be returned into the health care sector to help pay wages for health workers or finance drug development — similar to the way that companies applying for government grants to produce superconductors have been incentivized to help finance childcare for manufacturing and construction workers.

“Some might say, these are for-profit companies, so their goal is to make a profit,” says Gross. But “health care is a right, not a privilege. You can choose when to buy a car. You can’t choose to have a heart attack. As costs of care keep rising, it’s crucial to ask where our health dollars are going.”

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Journal

JAMA Internal Medicine

 

Earth’s inner core is less solid than previously thought

New study reveals the inner core is undergoing structural transformation.

University of Southern California

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The Earth's internal layers including the mantle, outer core and inner core. New research shows the inner core undergoes structural transformation likely caused by outer core disturbance.

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Credit: USC Graphic/Edward Sotelo

The surface of the Earth’s inner core may be changing, as shown by a new study from USC scientists that detected structural changes near the planet’s center, published today in Nature Geoscience.

The changes of the inner core has long been a topic of debate for scientists. However, most research has been focused on assessing rotation. John Vidale, Dean’s Professor of Earth Sciences at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and principal investigator of the study, said the researchers “didn’t set out to define the physical nature of the inner core.”

“What we ended up discovering is evidence that the near surface of Earth’s inner core undergoes structural change,” Vidale said. The finding sheds light on the role topographical activity plays in rotational changes in the inner core that have minutely altered the length of a day and may relate to the ongoing slowing of the inner core.

Redefining the inner core

Located 3,000 miles below the Earth’s surface, the inner core is anchored by gravity within the molten liquid outer core. Until now the inner core was widely thought of as a solid sphere.

The original aim of the USC scientists was to further chart the slowing of the inner core. “But as I was analyzing multiple decades’ worth of seismograms, one dataset of seismic waves curiously stood out from the rest,” Vidale said. “Later on, I’d realize I was staring at evidence the inner core is not solid.”

The study utilized seismic waveform data — including 121 repeating earthquakes from 42 locations near Antarctica’s South Sandwich Islands that occurred between 1991 and 2024 — to give a glimpse of what takes place in the inner core. As the researchers analyzed the waveforms from receiver-array stations located near Fairbanks, Alaska, and Yellowknife, Canada, one dataset of seismic waves from the latter station included uncharacteristic properties the team had never seen before.

“At first the dataset confounded me,” Vidale said. It wasn’t until his research team improved the resolution technique did it become clear the seismic waveforms represented additional physical activity of the inner core.

Deformed inner core

The physical activity is best explained as temporal changes in the shape of the inner core. The new study indicates that the near surface of the inner core may undergo viscous deformation, changing its shape and shifting at the inner core’s shallow boundary.

The clearest cause of the structural change is interaction between the inner and outer core. “The molten outer core is widely known to be turbulent, but its turbulence had not been observed to disrupt its neighbor the inner core on a human timescale,” Vidale said. “What we’re observing in this study for the first time is likely the outer core disturbing the inner core.”

Vidale said the discovery opens a door to reveal previously hidden dynamics deep within Earth’s core, and may lead to better understanding of Earth’s thermal and magnetic field.

# # #

About the study: In addition to Vidale, other study authors include Ruoyan Wang of USC Dornsife, Wei Wang of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guanning Pang of Cornell University and Keith Koper of the University of Utah.

This research was supported by the National Science Foundation (EAR-2041892), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (42394114), the National Key R&D Program of China (Grant 2022YFF0503203) and the Key Research Program of the Institute of Geology & Geophysics (IGGCAS-201904, IGGCAS-202204).

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Journal

Nature Geoscience

DOI

10.1038/s41561-025-01642-2 

Method of Research

Observational study

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Annual-scale variability in both the rotation rate and near surface of Earth’s inner core

Article Publication Date

10-Feb-2025

 

Discovering the genetics of climate adaptation 

Gregor Mendel Institute of Molecular Plant Biology

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Marchantia polymorpha is a powerful model for genetic studies

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Credit: ©Johannes Hloch/GMI

As climate change accelerates, plants face mounting pressure to adapt to shifting ecosystems and environmental conditions. This challenge is especially urgent for crops – plants resilient to drought and heat are essential to secure food supply in an unpredictable future. Fortunately, plants can adapt remarkably well to diverse environments and climates: Arabidopsis thaliana, for example, thrives in regions as climatically distinct as Sweden and Italy.  

Understanding how plants naturally adapt to different local conditions is key to predicting their response to climate change, and can help produce more resilient crops. A recent study provides new insight into the genetic underpinnings of plant climate adaptation. By combining population genetics and global climate data, the researchers identified genetic variants underlying climate adaptation in Marchantia polymorpha. 

The study, by the labs of Liam Dolan and Frédéric Berger at the Gregor Mendel Institute (GMI) of Molecular Plant Biology, as well as Kelly Swarts, former GMI group leader and now at the Umeå Plant Science Centre, and Masaki Shimamura at Hiroshima University, was published in Current Biology on February 10th.  

Building a genomic map of climate adaptation  

Genetic variants underlying certain traits, like enhanced heat resistance or different seed sizes, are often selected in environments where they provide a survival or reproductive edge. However, which genetic variants are responsible for climate adaptation is mostly unknown. To uncover these variants, the researchers compared the genetics of different regional subpopulations of Marchantia polymorpha collected across Europe, America and Japan, creating a population genomics database. By integrating this database with a worldwide climate dataset, the scientists correlated each subpopulation’s genetic profile with its local climate.  

 “Comparing populations in Europe and Japan, we found genetic variants associated with warmer and colder summer temperatures, as well as with the amount of summer precipitation,” explains Liam Dolan. “These adaptations could be crucial for optimizing reproduction in different conditions.”   

The study also revealed that genetic variability differs notably between populations of Marchantia polymorpha. Populations collected from different areas in Europe were similar to each other but presented high genetic variability among their individuals. In contrast, geographically isolated Japanese populations exhibited more uniform genetic profiles, distinct from those in Europe. These patterns suggest that climate adaptation may favor different reproductive strategies in Europe and Japan, as Marchantia and other bryophytes can famously reproduce both sexually and asexually.  

The new population genomics database – the first of its kind for Marchantia polymorpha – offers scientists worldwide a powerful platform to study genetic variability. “We’re eager to expand this database with samples from around the globe, enhancing the robustness of future research,” Liam Dolan points out. “Our platform opens up exciting possibilities for addressing a wide range of biological questions related to plant growth and development.” 

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Journal

Current Biology

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Population genomics of Marchantia polymorpha subsp. Ruderalis reveals evidence of climate adaptation.

Article Publication Date

10-Feb-2025