• This Chefs BLT Recipe Is a Sandwich for All Seasons
    www.wsj.com
    Amp up the flavor of out-of-season tomatoes and turn thissatisfying, Mexican-inflected BLT into a year-round pleasure.
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  • Researchers use AI to design proteins that block snake venom toxins
    arstechnica.com
    Stop the snake Researchers use AI to design proteins that block snake venom toxins It's a good example of how computer developments can be used for practical problems. John Timmer Jan 15, 2025 11:00 am | 26 Elapidae. Credit: Paul Starosta Elapidae. Credit: Paul Starosta Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreIt has been a few years since AI began successfully tackling the challenge of predicting the three-dimensional structure of proteins, complex molecules that are essential for all life. Next-generation tools are now available, and the Nobel Prizes have been handed out. But people not involved in biology can be forgiven for asking whether any of it can actually make a difference.A nice example of how the tools can be put to use is being released in Nature on Wednesday. A team that includes the University of Washington's David Baker, who picked up his Nobel in Stockholm last month, used software tools to design completely new proteins that are able to inhibit some of the toxins in snake venom. While not entirely successful, the work shows how the new software tools can let researchers tackle challenges that would otherwise be difficult or impossible.Blocking venomSnake venom includes a complicated mix of toxins, most of them proteins, that engage in a multi-front assault on anything unfortunate enough to get bitten. Right now, the primary treatment is to use a mix of antibodies that bind to these toxins, produced by injecting sub-lethal amounts of venom proteins into animals. But antivenon treatments tend to require refrigeration, and even then, they have a short shelf life. Ensuring a steady supply also means regularly injecting new animals and purifying more antibodies from them.Having smaller, more stable proteins that perform the same function would let us produce them in bacteria and could allow the generation of an antivenon that doesn't require refrigerationa careful consideration given that many snake bites occur in rural areas or the wilderness.The new work isn't meant to be a complete solution to the problem. Instead, it tackles a single type of toxic venom protein: the three-finger toxins, named after the physical structure that the proteins fold into. They're a major component of the venom of such infamous snakes as mambas, taipans, and cobras. Despite their relatively compact size, different members of the three-finger toxin family manage to produce two distinct types of damage. One group causes a general toxicity to cells, enabled by disruption of the cell membrane, while a different subset has the ability to block the receptor for a neurotransmitter.Since these two toxicities work through entirely different mechanisms, the researchers tackled them separately.Blocking a neurotoxinThe neurotoxic three-fingered proteins are a subgroup of the larger protein family that specializes in binding to and blocking the receptors for acetylcholine, a major neurotransmitter. Their three-dimensional structure, which is key to their ability to bind these receptors, is based on three strings of amino acids within the protein that nestle against each other (for those that have taken a sufficiently advanced biology class, these are anti-parallel beta sheets). So to interfere with these toxins, the researchers targeted these strings.They relied on an AI package called RFdiffusion (the RF denotes its relation to the Rosetta Fold protein-folding software). RFdiffusion can be directed to design protein structures that are complements to specific chemicals; in this case, it identified new strands that could line up along the edge of the ones in the three-fingered toxins. Once those were identified, a separate AI package, called ProteinMPNN, was used to identify the amino acid sequence of a full-length protein that would form the newly identified strands.But we're not done with the AI tools yet. The combination of three-fingered toxins and a set of the newly designed proteins were then fed into DeepMind's AlfaFold2 and the Rosetta protein structure software, and the strength of the interactions between them were estimated.It's only at this point that the researchers started making actual proteins, focusing on the candidates that the software suggested would interact the best with the three-fingered toxins. Forty-four of the computer-designed proteins were tested for their ability to interact with the three-fingered toxin, and the single protein that had the strongest interaction was used for further studies.At this point, it was back to the AI, where RFDiffusion was used to suggest variants of this protein that might bind more effectively. About 15 percent of its suggestions did, in fact, interact more strongly with the toxin. The researchers then made both the toxin and the strongest inhibitor in bacteria and obtained the structure of their interactions. This confirmed that the software's predictions were highly accurate.A mix of the three-fingered neurotoxin and the newly designed inhibitor was then injected into mice, where it provided complete protection (as long as there was five times more inhibitor than toxin). It even worked at a 10-fold excess when it was injected into the mouse 30 minutes after the toxin, which might better reflect real-world use of an antivenon.Mixed successAs mentioned above, a different group of three-fingered toxins can directly kill cells by disrupting their membranes. This class of toxin is made by spitting cobras, which means they can deliver the toxin to victims without the need to even bite them. Here, the researchers focused on the three fingers of the protein structure that gave this group its name. Repeating a similar process created inhibitors that interacted strongly with the three-fingered toxin and could potentially inhibit its activity.Unfortunately, when tested on actual mice, the inhibitors did not decrease the size of the skin lesions caused by the three-fingered toxin. This may indicate that we don't fully understand how these proteins disrupt membranes and could have potentially targeted the wrong region on them for inhibition. So the researchers stopped testing this inhibitor, though they could continue to work to identify others that target different areas of the protein.Even if they're successful, this work is mostly a proof of concept. Snake venoms typically contain a wide variety of toxins, and these experiments only targeted two of them. In addition, the proteins it produced worked well because they are highly specific. But that specificity means that an inhibitor designed against proteins in cobra venom might not work against the venom in a more distantly related snake.Still, the work shows that AI tools really can dramatically expand our options when it comes to intervening in biology. Without them, this work likely would have been stuck at the very first step, given that it was near-impossible to reason our way into identifying a protein structure that might interact with something like this toxin. And refining any initial ideas might have taken months to years of grunt work. It's hard to overstate just how radical a change the ability to do all this in software represents.Nature, 2025. DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-08393-x (About DOIs).John TimmerSenior Science EditorJohn TimmerSenior Science Editor John is Ars Technica's science editor. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Biochemistry from Columbia University, and a Ph.D. in Molecular and Cell Biology from the University of California, Berkeley. When physically separated from his keyboard, he tends to seek out a bicycle, or a scenic location for communing with his hiking boots. 26 Comments
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  • The Pentagon says US troops' pay is 'strongly competitive' compared to the private sector
    www.businessinsider.com
    A new Pentagon report said its troops earn more than most of their full-time civilian counterparts.It said that after one year of service, the top 70th percentile of enlisted earners get about $1,000 a week.But that figure includes far more than base pay, which Congress recently voted to raise significantly.A Pentagon report said its troops often earn more than their civilian counterparts and would stand to lose out if they were to leave the service."Our military compensation package is strongly competitive with the civilian labor market," it wrote in its review for military compensation, which is released every four years.The report comes just a month after Congress voted to raise basic pay for US troops by 4.5% across the board, citing concerns about recruitment difficulties and food insecurity among soldiers. Junior enlisted troops, who hold rank equivalents of E-1 to E-4, received an even bigger raise of 14.5%.Many of these troops were earning less than $30,000 a year in basic pay, and the bill passed in December aimed to raise their salaries to that level.However, the Pentagon uses a different metric that extends beyond basic pay, which it calls regular military compensation. This includes benefits such as tax advantages and housing and food allowances.By that measure, the Defense Department's new report found that "military pay among Junior Enlisted Personnel is higher than 90th percentile of earnings for civilians with similar education and experience.""Basic pay is a blunt and costly instrument," the report said. "And should be used only when there are system-wide problems, such as widespread retention and recruiting shortfalls, which cannot be solved more efficiently with other policy instruments."Its findings relied largely on a benchmark that compared two things: the 70th percentile of compensation for enlisted soldiers and the 70th percentile earnings for full-time civilian workers with the same education.The report said that for enlisted soldiers with one year of service, the top 70th percentile received about $1,000 a week in regular military compensation.Meanwhile, the report listed the 70th percentile of civilian earners as needing 10 years of work experience to get $1,000 a week.The Pentagon said that for enlisted soldiers with 10 years of service, the top 70th percentile of earners gets $1,500 a week.On the other hand, the 70th percentile of officer earnings stands at $1,500 a week for those with one year of service, going up to nearly $2,500 a week for those with 10 years of service.It compared those earnings to the 70th percentile of civilians with college degrees, whom the report said consistently earn about $200 to $300 less a week.Overall, the report said that enlisted personnel earn more than 83 out of 100 civilian workers with the same education and experience, and officers earn more than 76 out of 100 civilian workers with the same background.The Pentagon mostly recommended "quality-of-life" improvements instead of a pay bump. It asked the military to look more into expanding its retirement savings programs, providing better childcare access for serving parents, and asking its personnel to move less often to avoid hurting the careers of soldiers' spouses.In its budget overview for the 2025 financial year ending September 30, the Defense Department said troop pay and benefits make up about 30% of its total budget request for $850 billion.In the new report, the Pentagon said its current pay structure is mostly working."Recent retention is strong, recruiting has significantly improved, and favorable comparisons between military and civilian pay suggests that levels of basic pay are more than adequate," it said.
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  • James Cameron Shares a New Look at Avatar: Fire and Ash, Promises Itll Get Your Blood Up
    gizmodo.com
    James Cameron has risen from the depths of post-production on his Avatar franchise to give an update on the upcoming Avatar: Fire and Ash. Weve got some really clever action set-pieces, he told Empire. You can get your blood up in this movie. But what excites me as an artist who recently turned 70 and has kind of done all that stuff is not only the opportunity to get to do it again, but to get to a level of character and intrigue you havent seen before in an Avatar movie. He continued. Were just starting to riff on it and twist it and turn it, Cameron promised. Its a tricky thing if youre not making brave choices, youre wasting everybodys time and money. That alone is not sufficient to create success, but its necessary. Youve got to break the [mold] every fricking time. And thats got us all in to continue to watch the master bring us another visually stunning chapter from the world of Avatarto life. Game of Thrones Oona Chaplin is featured as a new antagonistic force as the head of the Ash Clan, and Cameron spoke about the character elsewhere in his chat with Empire. Varang is the leader of a people who have gone through an incredible hardship. Shes hardened by that, he said. She will do anything for them, even things that we would consider to be evil, 20th Century/Empire Magazine Were trying to evolve beyond the all humans are bad, all Navi are good paradigm, Cameron said. He praised Chaplins take on the character, which he hopes brings more of dynamic look to the conflicts within the world of Pandora. Shes an enemy, an adversarial character, he said, adding that Chaplins performance makes her feel so real and alive.The new look exclusively presented through the magazine showcased the films vibe and gave a sense of what Cameron is going for with the return of the Windtraders. Theyre nomadic traders, equivalent to the camel caravans of the Spice Road back in the Middle Ages, he described. And you know, theyre just fun. Like all Navi, they live in a symbiosis with their creatures. He also teased, If youve got any nautical blood in your veins, youll want to be on [their] ship. 20th Century/Empire Magazine Avatar: Fire and Ash opens in theaters December 19. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, whats next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
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  • Nantong Grand Theatre / BIAD
    www.archdaily.com
    Nantong Grand Theatre / BIADSave this picture! SK StudioTheaters & PerformanceNantong, ChinaArchitects: BIADAreaArea of this architecture projectArea:107071 mYearCompletion year of this architecture project Year: 2020 PhotographsPhotographs:SK StudioMore SpecsLess SpecsSave this picture!Text description provided by the architects. The site area ofthe project is 107,071, with a total building area of 110,916. It consists of 7 floors above ground and 2 underground floors (3 underground floors in certain points), with a building height is 57m. The BIAD team aims to reconstruct the locality and the affinity of urban spaces by using cultural context as a guidance, citizen life as a focus, and theatrical design as an opportunity.Save this picture!Save this picture!Nantong, formerly known as "Tongzhou," derives its name from its strategic location at the confluence of the Yangtze River and the East China Sea, making it a key transportation hub that connects the regions of Wu and Yue. The water body and urban boundary space surrounding Nantong Grand Theatre serve as a microcosm of the city's geographic and historical significance. The theatre is located on the northeast bank of Zilang Lake in Chongchuan District, Nantong. Along with Nantong Art Museum to the south and Nantong International Convention & Exhibition Center to the west, it forms the cultural and MICE area of Nantong Central Innovation Zone. The combination of the three major public buildings in Nantong Central Innovation Zone serves to obscure the boundaries between the water and the city, redefining the urban spatial organization. An open space to the public in this area represents the fundamental stance and self-positioning of the region in terms of the locality and affinity.Save this picture!Save this picture!From the lakeside, the undulating roof floats along the shore, shaping an elegant form, at the intersection of water and city. The pristine, continuous roof resembles auspicious clouds, lending a sense of lightness to the building's structure. The smooth architecture continuously draws people closer, as this astonishing "Qin Mountain and Pearl Water" landscape slowly unfolds by the shore of Zilang Lake. On the lakeside, the theatre is opened to the dramatic view of Zilang Lake with glass curtain wall; on the cityside, perforated aluminum panels with varying apertures enhance the cohesion of building. The two distinct facades are the interpretation and extension of the surrounding environment, marking the first step in the building's redefinition of the boundary between the water and the city.Save this picture!Nantong Grand Theatre has five auditoriums, arranged in an arc from northwest to southeast, including a 300-seat Children's Theatre, a 605-seat Drama Theatre, a 1,523-seat Opera House, a 1,184-seat Concert Hall, and a 406-seat Studio Theatre, collectively forming a "Five-Colored Lucky Cloud." The five auditoriums are aligned centripetally, with the auditoriums and foyers facing the lake, while the stage and backstage areas facing the urban roads. The five auditoriums are connected by a circular lobby, which is open to the public at all times. The circular lobby has two floors, both with entrances and exits equipped, and can be accessed by eight emergency stairways leading directly to the lake. The north-facing lobby serves as the main entry to the entire building, guiding visitors from the city into the circular lobby. The clear and well-defined circulation of the Grand Theatre reflects the designers' comprehensive consideration of affinity and local experiential qualities. The foyer and two levels of circular halls together form the theatre's lobby. This space integrates essential programs such as cloakrooms, restrooms, a caf, lounges, and box offices while organizing vertical flow to the auditoriums. Visitors collect tickets on the first floor, pass through security checks, and use the vertical circulation within the public lobby to access the second floor, where they enter their respective performance halls. This flow ensures a high-quality viewing experience and serves as the foundation of the theatre's affinity with its audience. Additionally, the flexible spatial arrangement enhances the versatility of the public areas, allowing the urban and waterfront environments to permeate into the building. Auxiliary spaces, such as the souvenir shop and caf, along with small exhibition areas, are located on the first floor. These spaces can operate independently and remain open during different hours, serving visitors to Zilang Lake Park even when the theatre is not in operation.Save this picture!The main lobby of Nantong Grand Theatre serves as a dual extension of the water and urban spaces. Located between the Opera House and the Concert Hall, the foyer features a soaring atrium that creates a bright and spacious experience. A canal runs through the foyer, the result of a design adjustment to its original course, transforming what was once a transitional waterway into the spatial axis of the theatre. The interior design reflects the essence of Zilang Lake, bringing its waters indoors. The ceiling features stainless steel panels shaped into artistic water ripple patterns, while a circular glass floor in the central hall offers a glimpse into the refined interior spaces of the theatre, as boats glide between Zilang Lake and the canal. The interplay of the ceiling and floor, interior and exterior, creates layers of visual and artistic interaction, rich in vibrancy and creativity. This surprising and seamless design ensures the spatial coherence of Nantong Grand Theatre and stands as a testament to its embodiment of locality and affinity. Regardless of whether the theatre is open, the building visually extends the city's public space, prioritizing public engagement and participation as its primary essence.Save this picture!Save this picture!The main entrance reflects the Grand Theatre's respect for the city's cultural heritage, while the circular lobby is its response to "Qin Mountain and Pearl Waters" around Zilang Lake. Connecting all five halls, the circular lobby serves as the theatre's primary public space. Facing Zilang Lake, it offers unparalleled natural views. As a tribute to the lakeside scenery, the circular lobby directly accesses an outdoor viewing platform. From the platform, visitors can gaze at Lang Mountain at the western end of the corridor or step closer to lakeside, engaging in a visual dialogue with people strolling along the lakeside. Additionally, the landscape design adds a new layer between the building and the water, enriching the spatial experience. Between the city and the water, everythingpeople, events, and objectsbecomes simultaneously an observer and the observed, creating a dynamic interplay of perspectives.Save this picture!Save this picture!Just as Nantong, a city of connectivity, embodies diversity and inclusivity across different communities, the five halls of Nantong Grand Theatre reflect various interpretations of locality and affinity based on their distinct functional requirements. The interior design of each hall are uniquely styled and full of characters. However, from a technical perspective, these five theatres demonstrate a high degree of uniformity. All utilize glass fiber reinforced gypsum (GRG) panels with intricate textured surfaces as wall materials, designed to optimize acoustic performance to the fullest extent. Furthermore, the design of stage lighting, sound systems, and stage machinery exemplifies a relentless pursuit of modern performance excellency and immersive audience experiences, creating a cutting-edge artistic space for both spectators and performers. The Opera House serves as the centerpiece of the five halls. Audiences reach the auditorium through entrances on either side of the Opera House. The golden and dynamic vertical light strips, immediately evoke the elegance and purity of a world-class performance venue. The undulating vertical lines enhance the cohesiveness and depth of the space. The "light strips" on the walls can adjust their brightness and colors to suit different performance themes or conference settings. The seats, in rich shades of deep red, beautifully complement the golden walls, creating a striking visual harmony.Save this picture!Save this picture!The Drama Theatre is a significant representation of the affinity of the theatre.It features a circular, enveloping wall structure, with a central golden relief colonnade that defines a unique seating arrangement. The overall style of the theatre draws inspiration from Nantong's long-standing and elegant local cultural traditions. Through the use of different materials and modern techniques, the audience can sense the captivating atmosphere of the drama even before the performance begins. The seats are upholstered in velvet, and the gradient color treatment enhances the centripetal focus of the circular theatre. The walls are coated with a matte night-blue finish, which, along with the colonnade, creates a mysterious and noble ambiance.Save this picture!Save this picture!The concert hall is enveloped in a silver-gray metallic paint on its walls, creating an overall bright and lively atmosphere. Through the unique circular walkway within the hall, audience members can easily access their seats. The surfaces of the pool seating and side walls feature various curves, providing excellent sound reflection. The organ is positioned along the central axis behind the stage, with the choir seats placed in front of it. Above the stage, a series of elliptical stained glass acoustic panels with self-illuminating functionality direct the audience's attention to the center of the stage. The immersive auditory and visual experience of the concert hall integrates the audience with the architectural environment, achieving the ultimate goal of architectural affinity.Save this picture!Project gallerySee allShow lessProject locationAddress:No. 68 Hudong Road, Chongchuan District, Nantong City, Jiangsu Province, ChinaLocation to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.About this officeBIADOfficePublished on January 16, 2025Cite: "Nantong Grand Theatre / BIAD" 16 Jan 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1025699/nantong-grand-theatre-biad&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save!ArchDaily?You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream
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  • Unreal Engine Aim Assist - Part 1 (ALS #212)
    www.youtube.com
    Project Files: https://www.patreon.com/CodeLikeMe/shop/shootlikeme-unreal-engine-third-person-258727 . In this episode of my third person shooter series, I am going to start working on a aim assist system. Here, if the player aim down while keeping the reticle closer to an enemy, the aim assist system will automatically focus on the closest hit point of the enemy character. the hit point means either head or the middle of the character's torso. But you can choose any point on character as hit point. This option will make gameplay easier for people who need some assistance in aiming. CodeLikeMe Third-Person shooter series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNTm9yU0zou4HL7SAyIQoCqJRJ5QeQAl8 // ! https://www.patreon.com/codelikeme Patrons will have access to project files of all the stuff I do in the channel and other extra benefitsJoin this channel to get access to perks:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClb6Jh9EBV7a_Nm52Ipll_Q/join Like my facebook page for more content : https://www.facebook.com/gamedevelopersclub/ Follow me on twitter : https://twitter.com/CodeLikeMe2 Follow me on reddit : https://www.reddit.com/user/codelikeme #CodeLikeMe #unrealengine #ue5 #indiegamedev
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  • <b>Meta AI creates speech-to-speech translator that works in dozens of languages</b>
    www.nature.com
    Nature, Published online: 15 January 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00045-yMachine-learning system can process words spoken in 101 languages, spitting out voice-synthesized translations in 36 target languages.
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  • Super Mario Movie 4K Steelbook Restocked For $28, And A New Limited Edition Releases In March
    www.gamespot.com
    The Super Mario Bros. Movie Walmart-Exclusive Steelbook Edition (4K Blu-ray) $35 | Releases March 4 Preorder at Walmart The Super Mario Bros. Movie Power-Up Steelbook Edition (4K Blu-ray) $28 | Available now, in stock as of January 16 See at Walmart The Super Mario Bros. Movie is getting a new 4K Blu-ray release with a steelbook case on March 4. Exclusive to Walmart and available to preorder for $35, The Super Mario Bros. Limited Edition Steelbook will likely sell out before it's ready to ship. Walmart's exclusive steelbook releases of popular films often sell out well before launch, and we're talking about the biggest video game adaptation of all time here.Perhaps the only reason why it hasn't sold out yet is that Walmart also has The Super Mario Bros. Movie's Power-Up Edition Collectible Steelbook in stock, too. Outside of sporadic, brief restocks, this edition has been sold out since its June 2023 release. Walmart is the only retailer with copies of the Power-Up Steelbook Edition in stock, and it's priced at only $28.The Super Mario Bros. Movie 4K Blu-ray EditionsOriginal 2023 release with Super Mushroom Steelbook -- $28 | Available now at WalmartNew 2025 Walmart-exclusive with Question Block Steelbook -- $35 | Releases March 4 at Walmart4K Blu-ray standard edition -- $14 | Eligible for 3 for $33 4K Blu-ray promo at Amazon (Expires Jan. 20)You'll need to decide whether you love Question Blocks (the new steelbook) or Super Mushrooms (the old steelbook) more. Or you could be like a-me and buy a-both. It's also worth mentioning that the standard 4K Blu-ray edition (plastic case) is only $14 at Amazon right now, and it's eligible for the retailer's 3 for $33 promotion on 4K Blu-rays through January 20.Continue Reading at GameSpot
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  • Rode Wireless Micro Review
    gamerant.com
    While the desktop setup is still the crown jewel for a lot of content creators, being able to take a production mobile has become a lot more viable. Even just recording something in the wild is so much easier than it was 5 years ago, thanks in large part to products like the Rode Wireless Micro.
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