People who love to send emojis tend to have higher emotional intelligence | Technology Weekly

Compiled by Zhou Shuyi and Wang Xiang

People who love to send emojis tend to have higher emotional intelligence

Emojis are pictographic symbols used in chats that can express a variety of emotions and meanings. Although these emoticons have penetrated into every aspect of our lives as a "lubricant" for communication, the psychological mechanisms behind emoticons are still rarely studied. A study published in PLOS ONE on December 4 showed that a higher frequency of emoticon use in chats is associated with high emotional intelligence, while avoidant attachment people tend to use fewer emoticons when communicating with friends and lovers.

Emoji | pinwhalestock, Pixabay, CC0

Emotional intelligence refers to the ability to handle and manage one's own and others' emotions. Attachment type refers to the way an individual gets along with others in close relationships, which is influenced by the upbringing environment in childhood. There are three types of attachment types: secure, avoidant, and resistant (anxious-ambivalent). Among them, secure attachment is a good and positive attachment; while avoidant and resistant attachment both indicate that the individual lacks a sense of security, did not receive proper care from caregivers in childhood, and their needs were not properly responded to.

The researchers investigated and analyzed the relationship between the frequency of emoji use, attachment style, and emotional intelligence among 320 adults. The participants were mainly white, educated, married, heterosexual people living in the United States. The results showed that individuals with higher emotional intelligence and secure attachment styles tended to use emojis more frequently. Regardless of whether they were men or women, the higher the degree of attachment avoidance, the lower the frequency of sending emojis to friends and lovers; for women, attachment avoidance was also associated with receiving fewer emojis. In addition, women like to use emojis more than men, but this difference only appeared in interactions with friends and family.

The research team said our online communication patterns are a mirror that may reflect our own psychological characteristics. "It's more than just a smiley face or a heart: it communicates feelings and makes communication more effective, and the way you use it reveals more about yourself."

Fructose indirectly "nourishes" tumors

Previous studies have shown that excessive intake of fructose can not only cause obesity and diabetes, but may also promote the growth of various tumors, but the specific mechanism has always been a mystery. A study published in Nature on December 4 found that fructose cannot be directly metabolized by cancer cells after ingestion, but is converted into lipids by the liver and enters the blood, indirectly "nourishing" tumors.

Fructose is a naturally occurring sugar found in fruits, vegetables, dairy products and grains. It has the advantages of good taste, high sweetness and low glycemic index, so it was once considered a "healthy sugar". With the widespread use of high fructose corn syrup as a sweetener for beverages and foods, fructose consumption has increased significantly in the past 50 years. The current average fructose intake is about 15 times that of a century ago.

In the new study, the authors fed fructose to tumor zebrafish models and mouse models and found that the tumors of zebrafish and mice fed a high-fructose diet grew faster. Interestingly, there was no significant difference in the weight, fasting blood sugar level, and insulin level of mice compared with the control group. Analysis shows that fructose rarely enters the circulatory system after ingestion, making it difficult for cancer cells to obtain it; and the cancer cells studied lack ketohexokinase-C and aldolase-B required to metabolize fructose, making it difficult to use fructose on a large scale. Therefore, the authors turned their attention to the liver, an important metabolic organ of fructose. Further studies have found that ketohexokinase-C, which is rich in hepatocytes, can metabolize fructose into various lipids including lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC). LPC is released from the liver into the blood, absorbed and utilized by cancer cells, and converted into phosphatidylcholine, an important component of cell membranes. The authors found that after mice ingested high-fructose corn syrup, the level of LPC in serum increased by as much as 7 times. The above studies show that after a large amount of fructose is ingested, it will be converted into cell membrane raw materials through liver metabolism, promoting tumor growth.

The liver metabolizes fructose to LPC, which promotes tumor growth | Fowle-Grider et al.

In addition, the researchers noticed that during the same period when fructose consumption surged, the incidence of cancer in people under 50 also rose steadily, and they are conducting related studies to try to explore the connection. In addition to dietary intervention, the researchers said that the new research can also help us develop new cancer treatments, which are expected to curb tumor growth by blocking fructose metabolism.

The robot leaps and takes off like a bird

A study published in Nature on December 4 drew inspiration from bird legs to design a flying robot called "RAVEN" that can both jump and walk on the ground. This design allows the aircraft to take off quickly and more energy-efficiently, which is helpful for overcoming various complex terrains.

RAVEN | 2024 EPFL, Alain Herzog.jpg

Birds' hind limbs (commonly known as bird legs) have multiple functions. They can walk and jump to help take off. Birds use this to switch seamlessly between walking and flying. This feature is expected to be applied to flying robots, thereby expanding their application range in different environments. However, similar mechanical structures may be too complicated and bulky to be practical.

RAVEN does not copy the physiological structure of bird legs. Its hind limb structure has been simplified to simulate the hip, ankle and foot of birds. Birds store and quickly release energy by bending their legs when taking off. RAVEN imitates this mechanism and can jump and take off like a bird. With the help of the above design, it can switch between multiple movement gaits, such as walking, jumping, and crossing obstacles, which can greatly improve the initial speed during takeoff and is more energy-efficient than taking off without jumping.

RAVEN not only provides a feasible solution for robots to achieve multi-mode movement, but also enhances our understanding of birds. The legs of some flying birds account for nearly 30% of their total body mass, and the new research hints at the reason for such a "heavy investment" - it facilitates fast and energy-efficient takeoff. The authors concluded that inspired by the design of RAVEN's legs, it is expected that more types of bionic robots that can achieve multi-mode movement will be designed in the future to adapt to different complex environments.

US manned moon landing mission delayed again

On December 5, local time, NASA announced the latest timetable for the Artemis moon landing program, further postponing the Artemis 2 manned lunar circumnavigation mission and the Artemis 3 manned lunar landing mission. This decision is related to technical issues with the heat shield of the Orion spacecraft that will carry out the Artemis 1 mission.

Artemis is the moon landing program announced by the United States in 2019. The Orion spacecraft carrying out the unmanned lunar flight test mission of Artemis 1 will be launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida in November 2022 on the United States' new generation moon landing rocket "Space Launch System". This is the first step in a series of lunar exploration missions in the United States, laying the foundation for subsequent manned lunar exploration missions. NASA originally planned to complete the "Artemis 2" mission in 2024 and implement the "Artemis 3" mission at the end of 2025. At the beginning of this year, it announced that the execution time of the two missions would be postponed to September 2025 and September 2026 respectively.

According to the latest schedule released on the 5th, the Artemis 2 and Artemis 3 missions will be postponed again to April 2026 and mid-2027 respectively. NASA said the decision was made after an investigation into the heat shield problem of the Orion spacecraft. The adjusted mission schedule will allow more time to resolve issues related to the environmental control and life support systems of the Orion spacecraft.

It is reported that when the Orion spacecraft was carrying out the Artemis 1 mission, burnt material "accidentally" fell off the heat shield during its re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere, and the loss of its insulation material was different from what was expected. The Orion spacecraft used a thermal insulation material called Avcoat, which is a key material in the spacecraft's thermal protection system and will be lost when heated. During the spacecraft's re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere, the material protects the spacecraft and astronauts from temperatures of nearly 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit (about 2,760 degrees Celsius). The investigation team analyzed that because the gas generated in the heat shield was not discharged as expected, internal pressure accumulated, causing the outer layer of insulation material to crack and fall off. (Xinhua News Agency)

Human-to-human transmission of avian influenza may be just one mutation away

How far are we from a bird flu pandemic? New research says we may only need one mutation. A study published in Science on December 5 showed that only a single mutation in the surface antigen hemagglutinin (HA) of the H5N1 avian influenza virus can change the virus's receptor binding specificity from birds to humans. This breaks the old perception that at least two mutations are needed, which means that the risk of the avian influenza virus undergoing relevant mutations and acquiring the ability to spread between humans is higher than previously expected.

In 2021, the evolutionary branch 2.3.4.4b of the influenza A(H5N1) virus broke out in North America and spread to all parts of the world through wild birds. In 2022, the epidemic spread to more than 60 countries around the world, causing the death or culling of more than 131 million poultry. As the virus spread, reports of mammals such as minks, seals, and cows infected with the H5N1 avian influenza virus continued to increase. Although there is no clear record of human-to-human transmission, because mammals are biologically closer to humans than birds, this has caused concerns that the virus may mutate and become more susceptible to infecting humans.

In order for avian influenza viruses to infect host cells, they must first recognize and bind to sialic acid receptors on the surface of host cells through the hemagglutinin protein on the surface of the virus. Therefore, hemagglutinin is the primary determinant of cross-species transmission of the virus. A key obstacle to the difficulty of human-to-human transmission of the 2.3.4.4b strain is that its hemagglutinin currently tends to specifically bind to avian receptors rather than human receptors. Researchers artificially introduced targeted mutations into the 2.3.4.4b strain (A/Texas/37/2024, Texas). The results showed that only a single mutation (Q226L) was needed to change the receptor binding specificity of hemagglutinin, making it easier to spread to humans. In addition, adding a second mutation (N224K) can further enhance its ability to bind to human receptors, bringing it close to the level of the H1N1 avian influenza virus that was prevalent in 2009, while reducing its ability to bind to avian receptors.

H5N1 avian influenza virus particles | NIAID and CDC

Researchers said the new findings highlight that the risk of cross-species transmission of the H5N1 avian influenza virus should not be underestimated. Louise Moncla, a virologist at the University of Pennsylvania, said: "This is the closest I have ever seen to an H5 avian influenza virus pandemic." Others are optimistic. Caitlin Rivers, an epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins University, pointed out that there have been similarly ferocious avian influenza viruses in the past, such as H7N9, but they did not cause a pandemic. "I think everything is still uncertain, and the situation could develop in either direction."

'Electronic tattoo' reads brain waves

Scientists have developed a conductive ink that can be printed directly on the human scalp to monitor brain activity. This "electronic tattoo" can be used as an electroencephalogram (EEG) sensor, providing a promising alternative for monitoring brain waves and diagnosing neurological diseases. It is also expected to be used as a non-invasive brain-computer interface solution to broaden its application range. The relevant paper was published in Cell Biomaterials on December 2.

Electroencephalogram (EEG) is an important tool for diagnosing various neurological diseases such as epilepsy, brain tumors and brain injuries. In traditional EEG tests, medical personnel measure the patient's scalp, mark a dozen locations, and then attach electrodes to monitor the patient's brain activity. The patient may need to sit for several hours to complete the EEG test, which is time-consuming, cumbersome and may make the patient feel uncomfortable.

Current EEG technology (left) compared to a new electronic tattoo (right) | The University of Texas at Austin

Now, the research team has designed an ink made of conductive polymers. Traditional conductive films are blocked by hair, but this ink can pass through the hair to the scalp, and after drying, it can act as a thin film sensor to capture brain activity. Using computer algorithms, the team can determine the electrode points on the patient's scalp. Then a thin layer of conductive ink is "printed" onto these points using a CNC inkjet printer. The process is fast, does not require adhesive contact, and does not cause discomfort to the patient. Tests have shown that this new type of electrode is quite sensitive. In addition, the gel on the traditional electrode will begin to dry out after 6 hours, and the signal quality will deteriorate; while the electronic tattoo can maintain a stable connection for 24 hours.

The researchers said the team plans to embed wireless data transmitters in the electronic tattoos in the future to achieve completely wireless EEG monitoring. "Our research may revolutionize the way non-invasive brain-computer interface devices are designed."

OpenAI official version o1 is launched

In the early morning of December 6, OpenAI launched its first new product launch event of "12 days and 12 live broadcasts", bringing the multimodal o1 official version and the more expensive ChatGPT Pro subscription service.

In September this year, OpenAI released a preview version of its new generation large model o1. o1 integrates the chain of thought (CoT) into the training and reasoning process, and solves more complex natural science, programming and mathematical problems through deep reasoning. OpenAI said that compared with the preview version, the current o1 chain of thought is more concise, the "thinking" speed is increased by about 50%, and the probability of major errors when answering difficult questions is reduced by 34%. The preview version of o1 can only communicate through text, and this update adds image recognition support. OpenAI said that in the coming months, o1 will also add web browsing, file uploading and other functions. The official version of o1 is currently open to ChatGPT Plus and Teams users, and will be open to Enterprise and Edu users next week.

OpenAI also launched the ChatGPT Pro subscription service in this release, which costs up to $200 (about RMB 1,450) per month. ChatGPT Pro users can use the o1 large model, GPT-4o, and advanced voice mode, etc. (ChatGPT Plus users are limited to 50 messages per week using o1). ChatGPT Pro users can also use the o1 Pro model. OpenAI said that o1 Pro will use more computing resources to enter in-depth thinking and provide the best answers to "the most difficult problems."

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