Computers and Math from Science Daily Feed

A study is the first-of-its-kind to recognize American Sign Language (ASL) alphabet gestures using computer vision. Researchers developed a custom dataset of 29,820 static images of ASL hand gestures. Each image was annotated with 21 key landmarks on the hand, providing detailed spatial information about its structure and position. Combining MediaPipe and YOLOv8, a deep learning method they trained, with fine-tuning hyperparameters for the best accuracy, represents a groundbreaking and innovative approach that hasn't been explored in previous research.

A newly developed tool that harnesses computer vision and artificial intelligence (AI) may help clinicians from around the globe rapidly evaluate placentas at birth, potentially improving neonatal and maternal care. Early identification of placental infection could help mothers and babies receive antibiotics. The tool would be helpful for doctors in low-resource areas with no pathology labs or specialists to quickly spot issues. And in well-resourced hospitals, it could help doctors determine which placentas need a closer look.

A new screening method that combines laser analysis with a type of AI is the first of its kind to identify patients in the earliest stage of breast cancer, a study suggests.

A new AI image tool could aid the development of algorithms to analyse wildlife images to help improve understanding of how species around the world are responding to climate change, a study suggests.

Researchers developed an AI debiasing technique that improves the fairness of a machine-learning model by boosting its performance for subgroups that are underrepresented in its training data, while maintaining its overall accuracy.

A research team has developed an ultra-thin, flexible film that could power next-generation wearable devices using body heat, eliminating the need for batteries.

A team of researchers unlock heat flow principles in ultra-thin metals, paving the way for faster, smaller, more efficient computer chips.

Diverse and inclusive teams are not merely a moral imperative but also a catalyst for scientific excellence in robotics, scientists point out in a study. The team has outlined how a scientific community can benefit if its leadership fosters an environment of diversity and inclusion, and propose a leadership guide for roboticists to help reap these benefits.

A study by a team of scientists finds that AI systems are also prone to social identity biases, revealing fundamental group prejudices that reach beyond those tied to gender, race, or religion.

Copper-oxide (CuO2) superconductors, such as Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+ (Bi2212), have unusually high critical temperatures. Optical reflectivity measurements of Bi2212 have shown that it exhibits strong optical anisotropy. However, this has not been studied through optical transmittance measurements, which can offer more direct insights into bulk properties. Now, researchers have elucidated the origin of this optical anisotropy through ultraviolet and visible light transmittance measurements of lead-doped Bi2212 single crystals, enabling a more precise investigation into its superconductivity mechanisms.

Researchers have developed a 3D-printed device that generates twisting light beams with orbital angular momentum (OAM), a form of rotational energy that can carry more data than regular beams.

Researchers have successfully developed a deep learning model that classifies pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), the most common form of pancreatic cancer, into molecular subtypes using histopathology images. This approach achieves high accuracy and offers a rapid, cost-effective alternative to current methods that rely on expensive molecular assays. The new study holds promise to advance personalized treatment strategies and improve patient outcomes.

The future of breast cancer screening and risk-reducing strategies is being shaped by artificial intelligence (AI), according to a recent review article.

A new study highlights a hidden challenge of using AI in medical imaging research -- the phenomenon of highly accurate yet potentially misleading results known as 'shortcut learning.' The researchers analyzed thousands of knee X-rays and found that AI models can 'predict' unrelated and implausible traits such as whether patients abstained from eating refried beans or beer. While these predictions have no medical basis, the models achieved high levels of accuracy by exploiting subtle and unintended patterns in the data.

An interdisciplinary team has created tiny bubble-like microrobots that can deliver therapeutics right where they are needed and then be absorbed by the body.

Artificial intelligence, AI, is rapidly transforming work also in the financial sector. A recent study explored how integrating AI into the work of sales teams affects the interpersonal communication competence required of sales managers. The study found that handing routine tasks over to AI improved efficiency and freed up sales managers' time for more complex tasks. However, as the integration of AI progressed, sales managers faced new kind of communication challenges, including those related to overcoming fears and resistance to change.

DNA stores the instructions for life and, along with enzymes and other molecules, computes everything from hair color to risk of developing diseases. Harnessing that prowess and immense storage capacity could lead to DNA-based computers that are faster and smaller than today's silicon-based versions. As a step toward that goal, researchers report a fast, sequential DNA computing method that is also rewritable -- just like current computers.

Street art takes many forms, and the vibrant murals on the Berlin Wall both before and after its fall are expressions of people's opinions. But there was often secrecy around the processes for creating the paintings, which makes them hard to preserve. Now, researchers have uncovered information about this historic site from paint chips by combining a handheld detector and artificial intelligence (AI) data analysis.

Researchers have pioneered a new technique called X-ray linear dichroic orientation tomography, which probes the orientation of a material's building blocks at the nanoscale in three-dimensions. First applied to study a polycrystalline catalyst, the technique allows the visualization of crystal grains, grain boundaries and defects -- key factors determining catalyst performance. Beyond catalysis, the technique allows previously inaccessible insights into the structure of diverse functional materials, including those used in information technology, energy storage and biomedical applications.

A new class of magnetism called altermagnetism has been imaged for the first time in a new study. The findings could lead to the development of new magnetic memory devices with the potential to increase operation speeds of up to a thousand times.