5.9 C
New York
Sunday, April 13, 2025
Home Blog Page 4

‘Some bugs are declining however what’s occurring to the opposite 99%?’

codesanitize
-
0
‘Some bugs are declining however what’s occurring to the opposite 99%?’



‘Some bugs are declining however what’s occurring to the opposite 99%?’
Analysis has principally centered on butterflies, bumblebees and dragonflies in elements of Europe and North America (picture: A white-tailed bumble bee, a typical UK species)

Regardless of fears over ‘insectageddon’, there’s a lack of knowledge about nearly all insect species globally, in line with a examine led by the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) and ZSL (Zoological Society of London)

Bugs are the dominant type of animal life on our planet, offering people and wildlife with pollination, meals, and recycling companies however, regardless of considerations about inhabitants declines, little is thought about how 99% of species globally are faring.

A brand new strategy is required to raised monitor species and shield them from the impacts of local weather and land use change, air pollution and invasive non-native species as quickly as doable.

The researchers, whose work has been printed within the journal Science, level on the market are a million identified insect species globally however there have been IUCN assessments for simply 1% –12,100 species, with round 20% of those thought-about threatened.

Monitoring is essentially confined to butterflies, bumblebees and dragonflies in elements of Europe and North America, with little identified about bugs in elements of Asia and South America and nearly no information on species in Africa.

Incomplete image
Regardless of stories of catastrophic insect declines, the examine authors say the worldwide state of insect biodiversity stays unclear as a result of sheer complexity of bugs’ existence and fluctuating inhabitants tendencies, in addition to an enormous lack of knowledge.

Of their examine, they suggest a brand new framework for monitoring populations and analysing the influence of threats that integrates all accessible strategies for finding out bugs. These are: evaluating variety and abundance over time and throughout completely different habitats, and thru gathering knowledgeable opinion and finishing up experiments.

Dr Rob Cooke, an ecological modeller at UKCEH and joint lead creator of the examine, defined: “We have to discover out whether or not insect declines are widespread and what’s inflicting them. The problem is sort of a large jigsaw puzzle the place there are literally thousands of lacking items, however we don’t have many years to attend to fill these gaps after which act.

“There’s a variety of curiosity in monitoring charismatic species akin to bees and butterflies, however few individuals care in regards to the supposedly disagreeable bugs, regardless that they too present advantages for us. For instance, earwigs feed on aphids and different backyard pests whereas cockroaches eat decaying materials and preserve soils wholesome.”

Undervalued and understudied
Dr Charlotte Outhwaite of ZSL’s Institute of Zoology, joint lead creator of the examine, added: “Bugs are an extremely essential a part of our ecosystems, pollinating round 80% of flowering plant species and very important for 35% of worldwide meals manufacturing, but they’re undervalued and understudied.

“With one million described species it will take too lengthy to determine what works greatest for every species. As an alternative we need to discover large-scale actions that profit essentially the most bugs. For this, we have to use all of the accessible data we now have.”

The examine authors clarify which means that, when there’s a lack of knowledge, consultants would make judgments about how local weather, land use, air pollution or invasive non-native species are affecting sure species based mostly on the identified impacts on comparable varieties of bugs. Their proposed framework would combine 4 varieties of analysis strategies:

  • Time collection tendencies, for instance a decline within the variety of butterflies over a 10-year interval.
  • Spatial comparisons, akin to taking a look at variations in species numbers or abundance throughout completely different habitats or areas.
  • Experiments to analyze the response of bugs to completely different threats, akin to evaluating a subject sprayed with pesticides to 1 with out, or eradicating invasive non-native species from one space however not one other.
  • Skilled opinion on the response of bugs to threats, for instance, a scientist declaring that butterfly counts are usually increased in hotter fairly than colder forests.

Future research
By combining information from a spread of sources, scientists can acquire a extra full image of how bugs reply to drivers of change whereas permitting transparency in uncertainty and information gaps.

The subsequent step for the researchers is to implement their strategy through the use of the vary of analysis strategies to mannequin insect responses to key threats. Consolidating all accessible information will present an up to date overview of the state of the world’s insect populations.

The work is a part of a mission funded by the Pure Atmosphere Analysis Council (NERC), which is bringing collectively numerous sources of knowledge together with knowledgeable data to evaluate the influence of particular person threats.

The World Insect Menace-Response Synthesis (GLiTRS) mission includes UKCEH, the Pure Historical past Museum, College School London, the Zoological Society of London, the College of Cambridge, Queen Mary College of London, the College of Stellenbosch, the College of Studying, the College of Exeter and Imperial School London.

ios – UIScrollView in UIViewControllerRepresentable – UI freezes when content material touches backside SafeArea

codesanitize
-
0
ios – UIScrollView in UIViewControllerRepresentable – UI freezes when content material touches backside SafeArea


The SwiftUI ScrollView lacks some options I would like and so I created a customized MyScrollView primarily based on UIScrollView wrapped inside a UIViewControllerRepresentable. Whereas this works nice typically I do know got here throughout a really unusual drawback:

When MyScrollView is utilized in a sheet and its content material touches backside SafeArea, the UI freezes as quickly because the ought to be displayed.

The code under exhibits the issue as properly in preview as on the simulator and on units. Please observe that the code is tuned do the show measurement of an iPhone 16 Professional. When working on totally different units one would possibly want to regulate top of the Shade.yellow.

Within the demo code the UI freezes if the Shade.yellow has a top between 738 to 771 pixels. Each different top is ok.

Is there one thing fallacious with my implementation of MyScrollView? When utilizing ScrollView as a substitute, all the things works nice.

Code:

struct ContentView: View {
    @State non-public var showSheet: Bool = false
    
    var physique: some View {
        ZStack {
            Button("Present Sheet") {
                showSheet = true
            }
        }
        .sheet(isPresented: $showSheet) {
            VStack {
                Textual content("Some Header Content material")
                
                MyScrollView {
                    VStack {
                        Shade.yellow
                            //.body(top: 737)   // works
                            .body(top: 738)     // does NOT works
                            // ...
                            //.body(top: 771)   // does NOT works
                            //.body(top: 772)   // works
                    }
                }
                .ignoresSafeArea()
            }
        }
    }
}


struct MyScrollView: UIViewControllerRepresentable {
    let content material: Content material
    
    init(@ViewBuilder content material: () -> Content material) {
        self.content material = content material()
    }
    
    func makeUIViewController(context: Context) -> UIViewController {
        let scrollViewVC = UIViewController()
        scrollViewVC.view.backgroundColor = .clear
        
        let scrollView = UIScrollView()
        scrollView.backgroundColor = .clear
        
        let contentVC = UIHostingController(rootView: self.content material)
        contentVC.view.backgroundColor = .clear
        
        context.coordinator.contentVC = contentVC
        context.coordinator.scrollView = scrollView
        
        scrollView.translatesAutoresizingMaskIntoConstraints = false
        scrollViewVC.view.addSubview(scrollView)
        
        NSLayoutConstraint.activate([
            scrollView.topAnchor.constraint(equalTo: scrollViewVC.view.topAnchor),
            scrollView.bottomAnchor.constraint(equalTo: scrollViewVC.view.bottomAnchor),
            scrollView.leadingAnchor.constraint(equalTo: scrollViewVC.view.leadingAnchor),
            scrollView.trailingAnchor.constraint(equalTo: scrollViewVC.view.trailingAnchor)
        ])
        
        
        contentVC.willMove(toParent: scrollViewVC)
        scrollViewVC.addChild(contentVC)
        
        contentVC.view.translatesAutoresizingMaskIntoConstraints = false
        scrollView.addSubview(contentVC.view)
        NSLayoutConstraint.activate([
            contentVC.view.topAnchor.constraint(equalTo: scrollView.contentLayoutGuide.topAnchor),
            contentVC.view.bottomAnchor.constraint(equalTo: scrollView.contentLayoutGuide.bottomAnchor),
            contentVC.view.leadingAnchor.constraint(equalTo: scrollView.contentLayoutGuide.leadingAnchor),
            contentVC.view.trailingAnchor.constraint(equalTo: scrollView.contentLayoutGuide.trailingAnchor),
            contentVC.view.widthAnchor.constraint(equalTo: scrollView.frameLayoutGuide.widthAnchor)
        ])
        
        contentVC.didMove(toParent: scrollViewVC)
        
        return scrollViewVC
    }
    
    func updateUIViewController(_ uiViewController: UIViewController, context: Context) {
        context.coordinator.contentVC?.rootView = content material
    }
    
    
    func makeCoordinator() -> Coordinator {
        return Coordinator()
    }
    
    class Coordinator {
        var contentVC: UIHostingController?
        var scrollView: UIScrollView?
        
        init() {
            //...
        }
    }
}


#Preview {
    ContentView()
}

Robotic gripper makes use of measuring tape fingers for delicate object dealing with

codesanitize
-
0
Robotic gripper makes use of measuring tape fingers for delicate object dealing with


Metal measuring tape is an attention-grabbing materials, in that it is inflexible sufficient to carry its form when prolonged, however versatile sufficient that it provides approach underneath stress. Scientists have taken benefit of that twin nature in a intelligent new robotic gripper designed for dealing with fragile gadgets.

Created by Assoc. Prof. Nick Gravish and colleagues at UC San Diego, the mechanical appendage is called “GRIP-tape,” the phrase GRIP standing for “Greedy and Rolling In-Aircraft.” It grasps objects of varied sizes and shapes between two grippy however compliant triangular fingers.

Every of these fingers is product of a few lengths of measuring tape that are laid lengthwise one on high of the opposite, and adhesive-taped collectively in that configuration … in order that they type a single two-layered ribbon that is bent/buckled on the tip of the finger. Two motorized reels – one at both finish of that ribbon – roll it in and spool it out as wanted.

A New Robotic Gripper Primarily based on Measuring Tape is Sizing Up Fruit and Veggie Selecting

By various the path through which every of the 4 reels (two per finger) rotate relative to at least one one other, the fingers could be made longer or shorter, they will rotate an merchandise grasped between them, or they will draw that merchandise in or out, conveyor-belt-style. Your entire gripper may roll back and forth and tilt up and down, swiveling on its robotic wrist.

It’s hoped that after the expertise is developed additional, it could possibly be utilized in fields corresponding to agriculture, for choosing vegatables and fruits with out damaging them. In actual fact, UCLA’s EEWOC (Prolonged-reach Enhanced Wheeled Orb for Climbing) robotic already makes use of a measuring-tape-based magnetic limb for climbing metallic buildings.

A closer look at the GRIP-tape gripper
A better have a look at the GRIP-tape gripper

UC San Diego

”We prefer to search for non-traditional, non-intuitive robotic mechanisms,” says Gravish. “The tape measure is such a beautiful construction due to its mixed softness and stiffness collectively.”

A paper on the research was not too long ago printed within the journal Science Advances.

Supply: College of California, San Diego



Evan Brown, Govt Director of EDGE on the Oklahoma Division of Commerce

codesanitize
-
0
Evan Brown, Govt Director of EDGE on the Oklahoma Division of Commerce


Evan Brown serves because the Govt Director of EDGE (Financial Growth Development and Growth) on the Oklahoma Division of Commerce. With earlier roles as Deputy Secretary of State and Deputy Director of Enterprise Growth and Legislative Director on the Division of Commerce, Evan brings a wealth of expertise in public service and financial technique. At EDGE, he leads initiatives to drive enterprise progress and develop financial alternatives statewide, with a powerful emphasis on attracting expertise firms to Oklahoma.
Evan has helped advance Oklahoma’s place as a aggressive hub for tech funding—highlighted by Google’s latest land buy for a future information middle, a key milestone within the state’s ongoing push to draw innovation and high-tech trade progress.

Let’s begin with the large information—Google has acquired land in Stillwater, Oklahoma for a future information middle campus. Are you able to inform us how this undertaking got here to life and what it means for the native and state financial system?

Google has known as Oklahoma house for over a decade, investing $4.4 billion in its information middle at MidAmerica Industrial Park in Pryor, Oklahoma. The corporate has been a improbable associate with the state, each using lots of of Oklahomans and giving again to the area people the place it’s positioned. Google has additionally continued to put money into STEM training by awarding grants to varsities and different organizations, which additionally helps guarantee a gradual workforce pipeline for years to come back.

Oklahoma was particularly named as a beneficiary of the $20 billion overseas funding geared toward boosting AI and cloud expertise. What makes Oklahoma such a strategic location for this sort of improvement?

Oklahoma’s central location, inexpensive power prices and dedication to being probably the most business-friendly state within the nation make it good for any important funding. Our state is all the time open for enterprise, providing incentives and state-of-the-art infrastructure for brand new and increasing firms. Companies solely must name us, and we are going to present them precisely why Oklahoma is the fitting state for them to develop or develop.

In 2023, Oklahoma noticed 71 bulletins for brand new and increasing firms. What developments are you seeing within the varieties of companies selecting Oklahoma, and what’s driving this momentum?

Not solely is Oklahoma the right location for brand new expertise firms, however it is usually changing into a hub for nationwide protection. We’ve got 5 navy installations that the Division of Protection continues to put money into, and our workforce can also be engaged on a number of protection manufacturing initiatives that would deliver greater than 1,000 jobs and $1 billion in funding. We’ve got Lengthy Wave, an Oklahoma Metropolis-based firm, which was lately awarded a subcontract to assist develop the Navy’s new plane. The contract is for lots of of thousands and thousands of {dollars} over six years, and they’re including 150 new jobs. We’re additionally taking steps to onshore vital mineral manufacturing within the U.S., lowering the nation’s dependence on different international locations. In Stillwater, we now have USA Uncommon Earth, America’s first uncommon earth metallic manufacturing facility. They produced their first batch of magnets earlier this yr. There’s additionally Stardust Energy, a lithium refining firm, that broke floor on a $1.2 billion refinery in Muskogee earlier this yr.

Google’s resolution displays confidence in Oklahoma’s infrastructure. May you elaborate on what makes the state’s infrastructure notably well-suited for large-scale information facilities?

All of it comes all the way down to our inexpensive power and business-friendly insurance policies. Information facilities require a considerable amount of power, and proper now, we produce 60% extra power than we eat in Oklahoma. Communities even have the power to work instantly with these firms to give you designated energy era for information middle improvement or different initiatives.

With power prices practically 20% under the nationwide common and a #1 rating from CNBC for price of doing enterprise, Oklahoma is clearly aggressive. How are you leveraging these strengths in your financial improvement technique?

In Oklahoma, we produce 60% extra power than we eat, and that’s an enormous benefit when recruiting information facilities or different comparable high-energy-consuming companies. Our grid is dependable as a result of we’re members of the Southwest Energy Pull, so we don’t expertise the rolling blackouts you see in some elements of the nation. Our purpose is to be probably the most business-friendly state within the nation. We’re centrally positioned, we now have the furthest inland port within the nation, state management is dedicated to reducing pink tape, we now have inexpensive power, and we provide direct entry to state management.

The SITES Program has been instrumental in figuring out industrial and mega websites throughout the state. How does this program work, and the way has it helped entice initiatives like Google’s?

SITES stands for Supporting Industrial Transformation and Financial Success. It’s our manner of partnering with communities throughout the state to proactively deal with infrastructure wants to fulfill the demand of present companies and firms seeking to set up operations in Oklahoma. Communities can apply if they’ve a website with infrastructure wants, and if chosen, we associate with the neighborhood to assist cowl a number of the prices of these enhancements. This reveals firms seeking to develop or transfer to Oklahoma that the state is dedicated to having a website prepared for them to get operations up and operating as rapidly as attainable. It additionally reveals Oklahoma communities that the state is dedicated to investing of their neighborhood and getting ready them for financial progress. It’s like if you’re searching for a brand new house. We would like the enterprise to see its potential spot, fall in love with the positioning and neighborhood, and be enthusiastic about transferring in.

How is Oklahoma getting ready its expertise pipeline—particularly in areas like tech and superior manufacturing—to fulfill the calls for of those new investments?

We’re dedicated to making sure each scholar who graduates highschool is college-ready or career-ready. We’ve got colleges just like the Aviation Academy in Norman, the place excessive schoolers can work in direction of their pilot license or technical certificates in aviation upkeep. We’re taking steps to develop internships and apprenticeship packages whereas additionally constructing partnerships between colleges and companies. Oklahoma has a terrific CareerTech system, which helps firms perceive the abilities they want and incorporates that info within the classroom.

Stillwater’s collaboration with a number of native companions was important to securing this undertaking. What classes can different cities or states study from this profitable public-private partnership?

We perceive the worth of private and non-private partnerships. Financial improvement isn’t carried out in a silo. It’s not state or neighborhood; it’s state partnering with communities to grasp their wants and needs for progress. We should deliberately put money into sturdy relationships throughout our state by means of elected officers and neighborhood companions to make sure we completely perceive the belongings. If we’re out pitching to an organization that Oklahoma is the place to be, we now have to grasp all of our belongings so we will help join a enterprise to the neighborhood that most closely fits their wants.

How do you see this Google funding shaping the way forward for financial improvement in Oklahoma? May it pave the best way for comparable tech-focused initiatives or firms to observe?

We perceive that the free market creates jobs, not the federal government. We don’t need to put our thumb on the dimensions and decide winners and losers. Due to our business-friendly insurance policies and benefits in power and different areas, we’ve created an setting the place entrepreneurs and companies can thrive. We get weekly calls from information facilities, uncommon earth companies, and different tech-focused firms fascinated about Oklahoma and probably discovering a neighborhood associate that may finest match their wants.

Trying forward, what’s your imaginative and prescient for Oklahoma’s function within the nationwide financial system, particularly as AI, cloud computing, and digital infrastructure proceed to develop?

Governor Kevin Stitt all the time says he needs to take Oklahoma to the world and convey the world again to Oklahoma. In 2024 alone, our workforce hosted 19 consulate representatives, two ambassadors, and a Crown Prince. We coordinated eight worldwide outbound missions to international locations like South Korea and Japan and assisted with six worldwide MOU agreements. We’re working to construct relationships instantly between Oklahoma and different international locations.

Microsoft’s huge purchase exhibits decarbonization potential of paper mills

codesanitize
-
0
Microsoft’s huge purchase exhibits decarbonization potential of paper mills


Key takeaways

  • Microsoft has signed a deal for 3.7 million carbon elimination credit over a 12-year interval
  • Challenge developer CO280 will generate the credit by capturing emissions from pulp and paper mills
  • Many U.S. mills are located shut to appropriate geologic storage reservoirs

Might the pulp and paper business be remodeled into an engine for carbon elimination? That’s the tantalizing risk raised by a deal between Microsoft and CO280, a undertaking developer targeted on capturing and storing carbon dioxide emitted from pulp and paper mills.

The tech large will buy 3.7 million tons of elimination credit from CO280 over a 12-year interval, the developer introduced right now.

The deal follows a smaller contract introduced in December with Frontier, a coalition of corporations that funds early-stage carbon elimination tasks. Help from these two heavyweight backers of carbon elimination will assist CO280 broaden an present pilot retrofit of a Gulf Coast mill to seize round 400,000 tons of carbon dioxide, mentioned Jonathan Rhone, co-founder and CEO of CO280. He wouldn’t share a exact value, however mentioned that the credit would price lower than $200 per ton.

The method has the potential to be “carbon unfavorable” as a result of the feedstock utilized in pulp and paper mills — small-diameter timber and waste biomass from timber operations — comprises carbon captured by photosynthesis. A few of that carbon makes its method to the cardboard packaging, tissue and different paper merchandise mills produce, however a majority results in “black liquor,” a waste materials burned within the mill to generate warmth.

CO280 sends the gases from that combustion by way of a liquid solvent that captures CO2. After a biomass steam boiler heats the solvent to launch the CO2, the system pipes the fuel round 40 miles to a website the place it’s saved underground in a geologic reservoir.

The corporate declined to reveal the exact location of the retrofitted mill.

‘Pleased coincidence’

CO280 has greater than 10 tasks in improvement, in keeping with Rhone. After the primary Gulf Coast undertaking activates in 2029, he estimated that the corporate would add a “couple of million tons” of elimination capability yearly.

CO280 declined to specify the price of the retrofit. Rhone mentioned that it’s within the “a whole bunch of thousands and thousands of {dollars}.”

The corporate’s speedy growth can be made doable by what Rhone described as a “joyful coincidence”: Many U.S. pulp and paper mills are based mostly on the Gulf Coast, an space that’s already being focused for carbon elimination tasks as a result of it has good choices for geologic storage. Which means there’s present infrastructure for importing and burning biogenic carbon in a area the place the emissions could be saved. Add carbon seize to the equation, and a strong elimination possibility turns into accessible. U.S. pulp and paper mills emit near 90 million tons of CO2 yearly, in keeping with CO280.

“Pulp and paper indubitably goes to be a serious participant within the carbon elimination area,” mentioned Joe Sagues, a researcher at North Carolina State College who research the elimination potential of the business.

Questions on the method

The long-term affect of those retrofits has been questioned, nonetheless. In a submit printed this February, researchers on the non-profit CarbonPlan famous that the last word targets of carbon elimination are to cope with residual emissions from industries that may’t be decarbonized and to attract down extra carbon from the environment. The researchers checked out services that produce ethanol from corn and noticed that even after retrofits of carbon seize tools, the method as a complete stays a web emitter. In that case, embedding elimination within the business can cut back emissions however gained’t ship on the aim of drawdown.

‘A good level to make’

CO280’s first Gulf Coast retrofit will match this sample in that it’s going to seize solely round half of the ability’s biogenic emissions. However ethanol retrofits are more difficult to make carbon-negative, mentioned Sagues: rising corn produces emissions, fossil fuels are used to make the ethanol and the big quantities of biogenic carbon are emitted when ethanol is utilized in autos. In pulp and paper mills, many of the emissions come from biogenic black liquor and could possibly be captured as retrofits unfold. In concept, the business has a long-term path to unfavorable emissions that ethanol lacks.

“I feel it’s a good level to make,” mentioned Rhone of the CarbonPlan critique. Current monetary incentives, together with the comparatively excessive value of elimination credit and federal tax incentives, present a basis for getting began, he added. Extra expansive seize methods can then comply with if the economics work.  “In the end the aim is to get to utterly web zero mills, however these are advanced tasks,” mentioned Rhone.

The tax incentives embrace a tax credit score for carbon storage referred to as 45Q, which was launched within the first Trump administration and strengthened as a part of the Inflation Discount Act (IRA), in addition to assist from the Division of Power. The Trump administration has not made its place on carbon elimination clear, however the business has watched nervously as key members of the DoE’s Workplace of Fossil Power and Carbon Administration, which oversees a number of elimination initiatives, departed after the election.

1...345...4,014Page 4 of 4,014

ABOUT US

Welcome to CodeSanitize, your number one source for all things coding and technology. We’re dedicated to providing you the very best of software development tutorials, tips, and resources, with a focus on clarity, practical examples, and up-to-date content.

© Copyright 2024 - codesanitize.com. All rights reserved