🤖 Computer Science

An Alternative to Conventional Neural Networks Could Help Reveal What AI Is Doing behind the Scenes

ChatGPT's launch triggered a rush in AI development, with Meta and Google releasing LLMs like Llama and Bard (Gemini). These models, though powerful, require extensive resources and often lack transparency. MIT's Ziming Liu introduced Kolmogorov-Arnold networks (KANs), which offer greater efficiency and reproducibility, potentially enhancing LLM performance.

ClinicalGAN: powering patient monitoring in clinical trials with patient digital twins

Clinical trials are increasingly difficult due to high costs, long timelines, and high failure rates, largely from issues with patient recruitment and retention. Researchers propose ClinicalGAN, a generative model for creating digital twins of patients, offering personalized patient generation, dynamic termination prediction, and multi-variate time-series training. Validated on Alzheimer's clinical trial datasets, ClinicalGAN outperforms existing methods in both generation quality and drop-off prediction.

Notes on Applicability of GPT-4 to Document Understanding

We evaluated all publicly available GPT-4 models for Document Understanding, which requires comprehension of text spatial arrangement and visual cues. Results show that while text-only models struggle, GPT-4 Vision Turbo performs well with both OCR-recognized text and document images. Analyses reveal possible contamination in textual models and significant performance drops for lengthy documents.

⚛️ Physics and Chemistry

Researchers develop reusable 'sponge' for soaking up marine oil spills—even in chilly northern waters

Researchers are developing a reusable sponge-like material to efficiently clean oil spills, even in icy Canadian waters. This material effectively adsorbs oil, helping to mitigate lasting damage to marine and coastal environments.

Simple Equation Predicts the Shapes of Carbon-Capturing Wetlands

Peat bogs, soft and waterlogged, are crucial for carbon storage. Historically drained for development, they are now recognized for their climate benefits. A recent study in Nature introduced a mathematical model that calculates peat bog shapes and carbon content using simple measurements, aiding climate change mitigation efforts.

🧬 Biology & Medicine

Neuralink rival sets brain-chip record with 4,096 electrodes on human brain

Precision Neuroscience has set a new world record by placing 4,096 neuron-tapping electrodes on a living human's brain, surpassing the previous record of 2,048 set last year. This achievement was announced by the company on Tuesday.

Merus drug, with immunotherapy, boosts tumor response in patients with head and neck cancer

Merus announced that its experimental drug petosemtamab, combined with Keytruda, shrank tumors in 62% of head and neck cancer patients in an ongoing mid-stage clinical trial. This new interim analysis aligns with earlier results, which had already boosted Merus' stock by 36%.

Study finds Plexin-B1 could be key to Alzheimer’s treatment, enhancing glial cell response

A study in Nature Neuroscience found that Plexin-B1, encoded by the PLXNB1 gene, regulates the activation of peri-plaque glial nets in Alzheimer's disease (AD). AD lacks effective treatments, and while amyloid plaques are a key feature, the processes behind amyloid-beta (Aβ) deposition and clearance are not well understood. Recent research has highlighted microglial roles in engulfing and processing Aβ.

🔭 Space & Astronomy

Auroras could paint Earth's skies again in early June. Here are the key nights to watch for.

The large sunspot that caused May's vibrant auroras will soon be facing Earth again, potentially bringing more northern lights around the nights near June's new moon.

Robotic Russian cargo ship leaves the ISS, burns up in Earth's atmosphere

The uncrewed Russian cargo spacecraft Progress 86 successfully undocked from the International Space Station (ISS) on May 28 at 4:39 a.m. EDT (0839 GMT) and reentered Earth's atmosphere, burning up over the Pacific Ocean as planned, according to NASA officials.

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