🤖 Tech & Computer Science

US judge orders Google to open up Google Play to rivals

A federal judge has ruled that Google must allow rival app stores and give Android users more app download choices. Starting November 1, Google is prohibited from paying developers for Google Play exclusivity for three years, cannot force its billing system on developers, and must let third-party app stores access its catalog. Google plans to appeal, arguing the changes may harm Android’s competitiveness with Apple’s iOS.

A comparison of human, GPT-3.5, and GPT-4 performance in a university-level coding course

In a study comparing GPT-3.5 and GPT-4 (with/without prompt engineering) to student Python coding submissions, students scored higher, averaging 91.9% versus GPT-4's 81.1%. Prompt engineering improved AI performance, but human evaluators accurately identified authorship with 85.3% accuracy, suggesting AI-generated work remains detectable.

⚛️ Physics and Chemistry

Nanotorus made from pure antimony paves way for other all-metal structures

Researchers in China have synthesized the first pure antimony-based nanotorus, containing 68 antimony atoms. Unlike previous nanotori made from carbon, attempts with heavier elements like phosphorus and arsenic failed due to instability. Using wet chemistry and C60 as a mild oxidant, the team from Nankai University successfully created this stable antimony structure.

Chemists use light to replace an oxygen atom with a nitrogen atom in a molecule

Chemists at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology have developed a method to replace an oxygen atom with a nitrogen atom in a molecule using photocatalysis, demonstrated on furan. This technique, detailed in Science, allows precise editing of molecules, which could transform drug synthesis. As noted by Ellie Plachinski and Tehshik Yoon, even changing a single atom can significantly impact drug efficacy, making this new "pencil-and-eraser" approach a promising tool for molecular editing.

🧬 Biology & Medicine

Medicine Nobel awarded for gene-regulating ‘microRNAs’

The 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun for discovering microRNAs—small RNA molecules that regulate gene expression in multicellular organisms. Their work reveals microRNAs' roles in development and disease and suggests they may have contributed to evolutionary advances. The prize, worth $1 million, was announced by the Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute. Ruvkun expressed excitement about the upcoming award ceremony, recalling the celebrations he witnessed during a previous Nobel event.

New Drug Class for Prurigo Nodularis Moving Forward

Prurigo nodularis (PN), a severe, itchy skin condition, may soon have a third treatment option. Promising data on povorcitinib, a JAK1 inhibitor, were presented at the EADV 2024 Congress. Previously, dupilumab, targeting IL-4 and IL-13, and nemolizumab, targeting IL-31, were approved by the FDA for PN. Dr. Shawn Kwatra highlighted the significant progress in PN therapies, with nemolizumab and povorcitinib both showing encouraging results in recent studies.

Common breast cancer therapies may speed up aging, study shows

A study from UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center found that breast cancer treatments like chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery may accelerate biological aging in survivors. Published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, the research showed increased markers of cellular aging, such as DNA damage, senescence, and inflammation, across all treatment types. This suggests that breast cancer treatments have a broader impact on aging than previously understood.

🔭 Space & Astronomy

SpaceX launches Europe’s Hera asteroid mission ahead of Hurricane Milton

The European Space Agency launched the Hera mission on Monday to examine the aftermath of NASA’s DART spacecraft collision with the asteroid Dimorphos in 2022. The $400 million mission will assess the impact of the planetary defense experiment, which successfully altered Dimorphos's orbit. Hera will provide detailed images and data of the crash site when it reaches the asteroid in late 2026, filling gaps left by DART's sacrificial impact and limited imagery from an Italian CubeSat.

Satellite images capture Hurricane Milton intensifying into Category 5 storm (videos)

Hurricane Milton, now a Category 5 storm, rapidly intensified from Category 1 within hours, marking it as the third-fastest Atlantic hurricane to do so. Satellite imagery from NOAA's GOES-East and the ISS captures its strength as it approaches the Gulf of Mexico. Following the recent devastation of Hurricane Helene, the National Hurricane Center is urging Florida residents to prepare for Milton's potentially severe impact.

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