Experienced divers swimming off the coast of California have noticed something out of the ordinary in the past few years – a small, black-and-white striped fish unlike any other in the region.  The barred knifejaw, also called the striped beakfish, is normally found in Pacific Ocean waters surrounding Asia.  And while it might be the most conspicuous, scientists say it’s not the only non-native species that’s ended up in this area thousands of miles from home.

A recent study identified nearly 300 Japanese coastal marine species that ended up on the wrong side of the ocean after the massive tsunami generated by a 9.0 magnitude earthquake that hit Japan back in 2011.

Divers have reported seeing the striped fish swimming in Monterey Bay since December 2014, according to Fox 5 San Diego.  But, experts suspect that by that time, they’d already been in the area for years.

In a study published to the journal Science last year, researchers say hundreds of species ended up in US waters after the devastating 2011 quake as a result of ‘tsunami-driven rafting.’  Along with the barred knifefish, the team noted the presence of 289 invertebrate and fish species native to Japan now living along the West Coast.

Creatures both alive and dead were carried more than 4,000 miles across the ocean by debris, the experts say; another barred knifefish, for example, was found in the stern well of a Japanese fishing vessel in 2013 in Pacific County, Washington.  The team also found barnacles, isopods, amphipods, mussels, shipworms, and limpet.

According to the study, this is ‘the longest documented transoceanic survival and dispersal of coastal species by rafting,’ largely made possible by the spread of non-biodegradable objects.

Greg Ruiz, a co-author and marine biologist at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, said: 'I didn't think that most of these coastal organisms could survive at sea for long periods of time.  But in many ways they just haven't had much opportunity in the past.  Now, plastic can combine with tsunami and storm events to create that opportunity on a large scale.'

Tsunami debris teeming with living organisms began washing up in Hawaii and the US West Coast in 2012.  In the years to follow, researchers continued to find buoys, crates, vessels, and other forms of wreckage from the disaster, all towing marine creatures from Japan.  Many of these species have gone unnoticed by locals, despite appearing only after the tsunami.

The barred knifefish, on the other hand, ‘stands out because it looks quite alien in our water and it’s definitely a species we haven’t seen here before in this event.  Divers or people visiting the beach may not notice anything that looks unusual to the untrained eye.  But in fact, some of these creatures could have been part of this tsunami invasion event,’ Jonathan Geller, a scientist at California’s Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, told Fox 5 San Diego.

While invasive species can pose major threats to local ecosystems, the experts say that isn’t much of a concern with the barred knifefish.

Given the temperature difference, with California’s waters sitting at about 9 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than their native waters, the fish will be able to survive, but likely will be unable to reproduce.

Extracted from: www.dailymail.co.uk

Urban flooding is causing microplastics to be flushed into our oceans even faster than thought, according to scientists looking at pollution in rivers.

Waterways in Greater Manchester are now so heavily contaminated by microplastics that particles are found in every sample - including even the smallest streams.  This pollution is a major contributor to contamination in the oceans, researchers found as part of the first detailed catchment-wide study anywhere in the world.  This debris - including microbeads and microfibres - are toxic to ecosystems.

Scientists tested 40 sites around Manchester and found every waterway contained these small toxic particles.

Microplastics are very small pieces of plastic debris including microbeads, microfibres and plastic fragments.  It has long been known they enter river systems from multiple sources including industrial effluent, storm water drains and domestic wastewater.  However, around 90 per cent of microplastic contamination in the oceans is thought to originate from land, not much is known about their movements.

Most rivers examined had around 517,000 plastic particles per square metre, according to researchers from the University of Manchester who carried out the detailed study.

Following a period of major flooding, the researchers re-sampled at all of the sites.  They found levels of contamination had fallen at the majority of them, and the flooding had removed about 70 per cent of the microplastics stored on the river beds.  This demonstrates that flood events can transfer large quantities of microplastics from urban river to the oceans.

Extracted from: www.dailymail.co.uk

A new study has revealed the shocking amount of plastic pollution that accumulates in the bodies of marine organisms that commonly end up on our dinner plates.

In a series of experiments exposing scallops to plastic nanoparticles, researchers found that within six hours, billions of particles had collected in the intestines and made its way throughout the body, from the muscles to the kidney.  And, it took weeks for these particles to get out of their system.

‘Understanding whether plastic particles are absorbed across biological membranes and accumulate within internal organs is critical for assessing the risks these particles pose to both organism and human health,’ says Ted Henry, Professor of Environmental Toxicology at Heriot-Watt University.

In the study published to the journal Environmental Science and Technology, researchers created nanoparticles of a plastic called carbon-radiolabeled nanopolystyrene in the lab.

Polystyrene is a main ingredient of Styrofoam.  The team created particles of two sizes: 20 nanometers (0.00002mm) and 250nm (0.00025mm).  After six hours of exposure, they conducted autoradiography analyses to see if the particles showed up in the scallops’ organs and tissues.  And, the results are troubling.  Within this short timespan, the researchers say billions 250 nm particles had accumulated in the scallops’ intestines.

The smaller particles were even more widespread – according to the team, the 20 nm samples were found all throughout the scallops’ bodies, in the kidney, gill, muscle, and other organs.

Both sizes of the nanoplastics lingered in the body for a long time.  While it took 14 days for the 20 nm particles to disappear from the body, it was 48 days before the 250 nm particles were gone.

The researchers say the findings shed important light on the ways plastic waste ends up in marine wildlife and, in many cases, in our own bodies.

Unlike previous research, which focused on concentrations estimated to be much higher than those now found in nature, the researchers say the new study used 'environmentally relevant concentrations.'

Professor Richard Thompson OBE, Head of the International Marine Litter Research Unit at the University of Plymouth says: This is a groundbreaking study, in terms of both the scientific approach and the findings,  We only exposed the scallops to nanoparticles for a few hours and, despite them being transferred to clean conditions, traces were still present several weeks later.  Understanding the dynamics of nanoparticle uptake and release, as well as their distribution in body tissues, is essential if we are to understand any potential effects on organisms.  A key next step will be to use this approach to guide research investigating any potential effects of nanoparticles and in particular to consider the consequences of longer term exposures.’

Extracted from: www.dailymail.co.uk

The U.S. Army is eyeing a new assault rifle that can rip through body armor with the power of a battle tank.    A lineup of Next Generation Squad Automatic Rifles (NGSAR) are expected to be in troops hands as soon as 2022, according to  The Military Times.

The 6.8 mm rifles not only pack greater force, but also feature improved precision from greater distances and are also able to handle all-weather and terrain encountered by soldiers.   Army officials are so pleased with the outcome that they say the rifles are 'better than any weapon on earth today, by far.'

Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley told Military Times: 'This is a weapon that could defeat any body armor or any planned body armor that we know of in the future.  This is a weapon that can go out at ranges that are unknown today and that you can see accurately.  There is a target acquisition system built into this thing that is unlike anything that exists today.'

Milley also told Military Times: 'It will stand all the rigors of weather, terrain and soldier use, and all of that kind of stuff.  This is a pretty impressive gun.  It will be better than any weapon on earth today, by far.'

Army soldiers currently use dated M16/M4 weapons that were first doled out more than 50 years ago.   Once ready to go, they'll also replace the approximately 80,000 M249 squad automatic weapons currently in use.

The new weapon is initially targeted for close combat units like infantry, scouts and special operations, according to The Military Times.   It weighs less, is more powerful than prior assault rifles and can shoot further - extending soldiers' range from 300 meters to 600 meters.

Natural differences in terrain can get in the way of the gun's extended range, but the service says increased 'power and barrier penetration' will give them greater defense against various environments, like urban obstacles, according to Military Times.

'The chamber pressure for the standard assault rifle is around 45 KSI [kilopound per square inch], but we're looking for between 60 and 80 KSI...the chamber pressure when an M1 Abrams tank fires is on that order.  We're looking to reach out around 600 meters and have lethal effects even if the target is protected by body armor,' a source told  Task & Purpose.

The Army put out a notice in October for prototypes of a 6.8 mm light machine gun and has since announced that the prototypes for the new weapon are expected to be ready for test fires by next summer.

In addition to new assault rifles, troops will also receive advanced night vision and sophisticated targeting systems by the end of next year.

The U.S. isn't the only country focused on developing next-generation weaponry.   The Chinese military has built a Star Wars-like laser AK-47 capable of causing 'pain beyond endurance.'   The handheld weapon can hit targets half a mile away using an energy beam that cannot be seen but causes 'instant carbonisation' of human skin.  The weapon, which is powerful enough to pass through windows, can burn through clothes in a split second, claim scientists who have not been named due to the sensitivity of the project.

Extracted from: www.dailymail.co.uk

Dramatic experiments to recreate the explosive interactions that take place during a volcanic eruption have revealed what happens when molten rock and water meet.

Scientists ran 12 experiments in the lab using 10-gallon vats of homemade lava to test the effects of different water-injection speeds.  While the combination of these liquids doesn’t always turn violent, the team found that under certain conditions, these encounters generate spontaneous explosions that could make an eruption much more dangerous.

Lead investigator Ingo Sonder, research scientist in the Center for Geohazards Studies at University at Buffalo, said: ‘If you think about a volcanic eruption, there are powerful forces at work, and it’s not a gentle thing.  Our experiments are looking at the basic physics of what happens when water gets trapped inside molten rock.’

The new study published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth expands upon earlier work, which examined lava-water interactions on a small scale.  While the previous experiments used roughly a coffee cup’s worth of lava, the new study used 10-gallon batches held in insulated steel boxes.

Through 12 total experiments, the team investigated the interactions of water and lava when water-injection varied from about 6 to 30 feet per second.  The team also varied the height of the steel boxes, changing it from about 8 to 18 inches tall.

Though it’s still too early for solid conclusions, the researchers say they did uncover some patterns.  The experiments showed that spontaneous explosions occur when at least a foot of molten rock sits above the point where the water and lava mix.  Larger reactions also appeared to occur when the water was injected at a higher speed, and when the lava was in a taller container.  These varying reactions can be seen throughout nature; while eruptions such as Hawaii’s Kilauea may have produced explosions when coming in contact with water, others have been calmer.

Sonder said: ‘Sometimes, when lava encounters water, you see huge, explosive activity.  Other times, there is no explosion, and the lava may just cool down and form some interesting shapes.  What we are doing is trying to learn about the conditions that cause most violent reactions.’

The new findings provide important insight on the behaviour of water when it becomes trapped by lava, which can reach thousands of degrees Fahrenheit.

The researchers’ lava was created from basaltic rock heated to 2,400 degrees Fahrenheit in an induction furnace.  After being poured into the steel box and injected with water, the team drove a plunger into the liquid to provoke an explosion.

Co-author Greg Valentine, UB professor of geology and director of the Center for Geohazards Studies, said: ‘The research is still in the very early stages, so we have several years of work ahead of us before we’ll be able to look at the whole range and combination of factors that influence what happens when lava or magma encounters water.  However, everything we do is with the intention of making a difference in the real world.  Understanding basic processes having to do with volcanoes will ultimately help us make better forecasting calls when it comes to eruptions.’

Extracted from: www.dailymail.co.uk

American chip supplier Qualcomm Inc on 10 December said it had won a preliminary order from a Chinese court to ban the import and sale of several Apple Inc iPhone models in China due to patent violations.   The preliminary order affects all of the iPhone models from the iPhone 6S to the iPhone X which are sold with older versions of Apple's iOS operating system.

In a statement, Apple said its iPhones would remain on sale in the country, with newer software.

California-based Qualcomm, the world's biggest supplier of chips for mobile phones, initially filed its case in China in late 2017.   The ruling came from the Fuzhou Intermediate People's Court in China, the same court that earlier this year banned the import of some of memory chip maker Micron Technology Inc's chips into China.

The court found Apple had violated two of Qualcomm's software patents around resizing photographs and managing applications on a touch screen.

'Apple continues to benefit from our intellectual property while refusing to compensate us,' Don Rosenberg, general counsel of Qualcomm, said in a statement.

Apple shares fell 2 per cent in pre-market trading.   Because the patents concern software, Apple could make changes to its software to avoid the patents and still be able to sell its phones.  In a statement, Apple said that all iPhone models would remain available for its customers in China.  New iPhones use Apple's latest version of its mobile operating system, iOS 12.

'Qualcomm's effort to ban our products is another desperate move by a company whose illegal practices are under investigation by regulators around the world,' Apple said in its statement.

The patents in the suit, which Qualcomm said on 10 December had been upheld by the Chinese patent office, are separate from those being contested in other cases in its wide-ranging legal dispute with Apple.

Qualcomm has also asked regulators in the United States to ban the import of several iPhone models over patent concerns, but U.S. officials have so far declined to do so.

The specific iPhone models affected by the preliminary ruling in China are the iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X.

Extracted from: www.dailymail.co.uk

Scientists are yet another step closer to understanding how redheads inherit their distinctive locks.

A new study analyzing the DNA of nearly 350,000 people has pinpointed an array of genes linked to particular hair colors, including eight genes associated with red hair.  Despite previous assumptions that red hair comes from a single gene, the study shows the reality is much more complex.  The findings help to explain why some people are known to carry the previously identified redhead gene, MC1R, but do not have red hair.  As the new study shows, there are more genes involved than simply the one.

‘We were able to use the power of UK Biobank, a huge and unique genetic study of half a million people in Britain, which allowed us to find these effects,’ said Professor Ian Jackson, of the Medical Research Council Human Genetics Unit at the University of Edinburgh.

The study on thousands of people revealed that hundreds of genes contribute to variations in hair color.  Genetic differences in nearly 200 genes give rise the spectrum of colors between blonde and the darkest brunette, according to the researchers.  Surprisingly, many of these genes relate to texture, not pigmentation.

The researchers say this is the largest genetic study of hair color yet.  The findings are published in the journal Nature Communications.

When it comes to red hair, the team says it’s more than just the gene MC1R that comes into play.  This gene was previously identified in a study that found redheads inherit two versions of it – one from each parent – resulting in their red hair.

In the new study, the researchers identified eight genetic differences linked to red hair.  Some of these genes were responsible for controlling when MC1R is switched on or off, they say.

‘We are very pleased that this work has unravelled most of the genetic variation contributing to differences in hair color among people,’ says Professor Albert Tenesa, of the University of Edinburgh's Roslin Institute.

In addition to the redhead genes, the team also identified genetic differences involved in determining if hair will grow to be curly or straight.

According to Melanie Welham, Executive Chair of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, the study ‘has provided some fascinating insights into what makes us such distinct individuals.’

Extracted from: www.dailymail.co.uk

From concerns over blue light to digital strain and dryness, headlines today often worry how smartphones and computer screens might be affecting the health of our eyes.  But while the technology may be new, this concern certainly isn't.

Since Victorian time people have been concerned about how new innovations might damage eyesight.  In the 1800s, the rise of mass print was both blamed for an increase in eye problems and was responsible for dramatising the fallibility of vision too.  As the amount of known eye problems increased, the Victorians predicted that without appropriate care and attention Britain's population would become blind.

In 1884, an article in The Morning Post newspaper proposed that: 'The culture of the eyes and efforts to improve the faculty of seeing must become matters of attentive consideration and practice, unless the deterioration is to continue and future generations are to grope about the world purblind.'

The 19th century was the time when opthamology became a more prominent field of healthcare.  New diagnostic technologies, such as test charts were introduced and spectacles became a more viable treatment method for a range of vision errors.  Though more sight problems were being treated effectively, this very increase created alarm, and a subsequent perceived need to curtail any growth.

In 1889 the Illustrated London News questioned: 'To what are we coming? … Now we are informed by men of science that the eyes used so effectively by our forefathers will not suffice for us, and that there is a prospect of England becoming purblind.'

The article continued, considering potential causes for this acceleration, and concluded that it could be partly explained by evolution and inheritance.

Urban myopia 

Other commentators looked to 'modern life' for explanation, and attributed the so-called 'deterioration of vision' to the built environment, the rise of print, compulsory education, and a range of new innovations such as steam power.

In 1892, an article, published in The Nineteenth Century: A Monthly Review, reflected that the changing space of Victorian towns and lighting conditions were an 'inestimable benefit' that needed to be set against a 'decidedly lower sight average'.  Similarly, a number of other newspapers reported on this phenomenon, headlining it as 'urban myopia'.

In 1898, a feature published in The Scottish Review – ironically entitled 'The Vaunts of Modern Progress' – proposed that defective eyesight was 'exclusively the consequence of the present conditions of civilised life'.

It highlighted that many advances being discussed in the context of 'progress' – including material prosperity, expansion of industry and the rise of commerce – had a detrimental effect on the body's nervous system and visual health.

Another concern of the time – sedentariness – was also linked to the rise in eye problems.  Better transport links and new leisure activities that required the person to be seated meant people had more time to read.

Work changed as well, with lower-class jobs moving away from manual labour and the written word thought to have superseded the spoken one.  While we now focus on 'screen time', newspapers and periodicals emphasised the negative effects of a 'reading age' (the spread of the book and popular print).

Education to blame

In a similar manner to today, schools were blamed for the problem too.  Reading materials, lighting conditions, desk space, and the advent of compulsory education were all linked to the rise in diagnosed conditions.

English ophthalmologist Robert Brudenell Carter, in his government-led study, Eyesight in Schools, reached the balanced conclusion that while schooling conditions may be a problem, more statistics were required to fully assess the situation.

Though Carter did not wish to 'play the part of an alarmist', a number of periodicals dramatised their coverage with phrases such as 'The Evils of Our School System'.

The problem with all of these new environmental conditions was that they were considered 'artificial'.  To emphasise this point, medical men frequently compared their findings of poor eye health against the superior vision of 'savages' and the effect of captivity on the vision of animals.

This in turn gave a more negative interpretation of the relationship between civilisation and 'progress', and conclusions were used to support the idea that deteriorating vision was an accompaniment of the urban environment and modern leisure pursuits – specific characteristics of the Western world.

And yet the Victorians were undeterred, and continued with the very modern progress that they blamed for eyesight problems.  Instead, new protective eyewear was developed that sought to protect the eye from dust and flying particles, as well as from the bright lights at seaside resorts, and artificial lighting in the home.

Despite their fears, the country did not become 'purblind'.  Neither is Britain now an 'island full of round-backed, blear-eyed book worms' as predicted.

While stories reported today tend to rely on more rigorous research when it comes to screen time and eye health, it just goes to show that 'modernity' has long been a cause for concern.

Extracted from: www.dailymail.co.uk

Your face is now your passport.  American Airlines is joining a growing list of companies that are beginning to offer facial recognition as a means of identification.  The world's largest airline will now let some passengers simply scan their face to board their flight at the Los Angeles International Airport.

American Airlines is rolling out facial recognition cameras as part of a 90-day test to identify people before they get on board their flights from LAX's Terminal 4.  The pilot program, which launched on Wednesday, 5 December, came about as a result of partnership with digital security company Gemalto.

The technology works by matching users' face scans against a database created by the Department of Homeland Security.  The photos are then deleted from the facial recognition system's database after they're matched, according to Fast Company.

American Airlines' facial recognition system is opt-in only, however, so for those with privacy fears, they can continue to board and move through the airport using standard verification methods, such as passports.  Airport employees will also continue to check passports and other IDs.

Neville Pattinson, senior vice president of Government Programs at Gemalto, told the Associated Press: 'Being able to use your face instead of your boarding pass will not only enhance security but allow passengers to board more easily and quickly.  The passenger process is changing globally and we are pleased to be on the leading edge of this change enabling our partners to offer improved service and security with our biometric capabilities.'

It comes as Delta Air Lines last month launched what it's calling the first 'biometric terminal' in the US at the international terminal in Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson airport.  Customers use facial recognition to verify their identity as they check in at self-service kiosks, move through security and board their flight.

The facial recognition system is opt-in only, meaning that passengers aren't required to have their face scanned to verify their identity.  To use it, customers click 'Look' on the screen at the kiosks located in the lobby, or approach the camera at the ticket counter, when boarding or going through security.  Passengers' face scans are matched to passport or visa photos that are in the U.S. Customs and Border Protection's database.  After a green check mark appears, they're able to proceed.

So far, Delta says the majority of travelers at the Atlanta airport are taking advantage of the facial recognition features.  Of the 25,000 customers who travel through Hartsfield-Jackson's international terminal, only 2 per cent have opted out of the technology, according to the airline.  Not only that, the airline says the system has helped reduce the long lines and traffic jams that have become customary at many airports.

'Based on initial data, the facial recognition option is saving an average of two seconds for each customer at boarding, or nine minutes when boarding a wide body aircraft,' Delta said.

Delta launched the system with the idea that passengers will no longer need to use their passport to get through checkpoints around the airport.  However, customers will still need to keep their passport on hand for use in other airports without biometric security systems.

'We’re removing the need for a customer checking a bag to present their passport up to four times per departure – which means we’re giving customers the option of moving through the airport with one less thing to worry about, while empowering our employees with more time for meaningful interactions with customers,' Gil West, Delta's chief operating officer, said in a statement.

While it's limited to the international terminal in Atlanta for now, Delta hopes to bring the technology to the Detroit Metropolitan Airport in 2019.

Delta has been testing its biometric security technology at several airports over the past several years, including the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the Detroit Metropolitan Airport, and the John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City.  The firm has also tested a 'biometric bag drop' system at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport and biometric boarding at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

Unsurprisingly, privacy advocates have raised concerns about how data collected by the biometric security systems could be misused.   Jennifer Lynch, a senior staff attorney with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, told the Atlanta Journal Constitution that the facial recognition systems are a threat to individual privacy.  In particular, it threatens 'our constitutional "right to travel" and right to anonymous association,' Lynch said.

Importantly, Delta's facial recognition software uses U.S. Customs and Border Protection's traveler verification service.  What's more, it relies on software by NEC Corp.  Customs, which is required by Congress to collect biometric information from foreign visitors as they leave the U.S., according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

It comes as the Transportation Security Administration recently published a roadmap for how it plans to integrate new biometric data systems into airports across the country.  This includes plans to use fingerprints and facial scans at airport checkpoints, potentially leading to shorter lines.  It could also mean travelers may be able to leave their passports at home in the future.

Extracted from: www.dailymail.co.uk

Warming oceans are changing the way sharks swim - and making them right handed, researchers have found.

Australian scientists incubated eggs in tanks heated to simulate temperature changes at the end of the century.  They found half died within a month, and those who survived became 'right handed', preferring to swim to the right, a process known as lateralization.  The researchers found the rising temperatures developed the trait far more quickly than they expected.

'We incubated and reared Port Jackson sharks at current and projected end-of-century temperatures and measured preferential detour responses to left or right,' the researchers wrote in a study published in the journal Symmetry.

To test whether the sharks had developed lateralization, the team placed them in a long tank with a Y-shaped partition at one end.  Behind the partition was a food reward; sharks just had to decide whether to swim to the right or left side of the Y to reach their snack.  The researchers say the changes show that climate change could have a far greater, and faster, effect on marine brains than thought.

They wrote: 'Sharks incubated at elevated temperature showed stronger absolute laterality and were significantly biased towards the right relative to sharks reared at current temperature.  Climate change is warming the world’s oceans at an unprecedented rate.  Under predicted end-of-century temperatures, many teleosts show impaired development and altered critical behaviors, including behavioral lateralisation.  Since laterality is an expression of brain functional asymmetries, changes in the strength and direction of lateralisation suggest that rapid climate warming might impact brain development and function.'

Researchers collected a clutch of Port Jackson shark eggs from the waters off of eastern Australia.  They incubated 12 eggs in a tank warmed to the current ambient temperature of the bay (about 20.6 degrees Celsius) and 12 others in a tank that was gradually warmed to 23.6 degrees C to simulate those predicted end-of-century ocean temperatures.

Five sharks incubated in the elevated temperatures died within a month of hatching.

Extracted from: www.dailymail.co.uk