Explained: Meet the Litoria mira, real-life version of Harry Potter’s chocolate frogs - The Indian Express

Written by Dipanita Nath , Edited by Explained Desk | Pune |
June 1, 2021 7:58:43 am

A species of frog lives in the rainforests of New Guinea that appears to be made from chocolate — just like the magical sweets popular in the wizarding world of J K Rowling’s Harry Potter.

An Australian scientist, Steve Richards, spotted the creature in 2016 and took a few specimens for genetic tests and research. The cocoa-coloured frogs have turned out to be a new species — and an addition to our knowledge of the animal kingdom.

It is called Litoria mira, inspired by the Latin adjective mirum, which means surprised or strange, stemming from the scientist’s surprise in discovering an undescribed member of the predominately Australian Litoria genus of tree frogs.

Richards, a frog specialist with the South Australian Museum, and Paul Oliver, from the Queensland Museum and Griffith University, who carried out the genetic analysis, announced the discovery in a paper published in the Australian Journal of Zoology on May 20.

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An Australian relative

The Litoria mira has a well-known relative — the common green tree frog of Australia called Litoria cerulean. Except for the colour of their skins, the two seem alike — until you study them closely.

Litoria mira can be distinguished from all other Litoria by its unique combination of moderately large size, webbing on hand, relatively short and robust limbs, and small violet patch of skin on the edge of its eyes.

A link from the past

The reason that the chocolate frog from New Guinea and the Australian green tree frog are similar is that Australia and New Guinea used to be linked by land for much of the late Tertiary period (2.6 million years ago), and share many biotic elements.

Today, the island of New Guinea is separated from the ‘horn’ of Queensland by the Torres Strait. New Guinea is dominated by rainforest, and northern Australia by the savannah.

“Resolving the biotic interchange between these two regions is critical to understanding how the rainforest and savannah habitat types have expanded and contracted over time of both…,” Oliver said to Sci-News.com.

“Estimates for divergence of the new species in our study shows that in the Pliocene (5.3 to 2.6 million years ago) there was still connectivity between the two species across lowland tropical habitats of northern Australia and New Guinea.”

Why the discovery took so long

The chocolate frog was discovered in one of the world’s most unpleasant places for humans, a hot rainforest swamp infested with malarial mosquitoes, spiky trees and crocodiles and without roads. It is the kind of terrain that does not encourage exploration.

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2021-06-01 02:28:43Z
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NASA releases 3D video of Ingenuity Mars Helicopter's 3rd flight - SpaceFlight Insider

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1. NASA releases 3D video of Ingenuity Mars Helicopter's 3rd flight  SpaceFlight Insider
2. Why NASA Made a Helicopter for Mars | WIRED  WIRED
3. Long-Range Photo of Ingenuity Taken by Perseverance’s SuperCam Instrument  Universe Today
4. Anomaly on Mars: How Ingenuity helicopter’s sixth flight suffered glitch midair  India Today
5. Nasa's Mars helicopter survives choppy flight on the Red Planet  Metro.co.uk
6. View Full coverage on Google News

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2021-06-01 01:54:46Z
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Bones crushing and screams: Spy mics unearth sounds of Canada Lynx hunting - CTV News Edmonton

EDMONTON -- Scientists at the University of Alberta (U of A) have revealed never-before-heard sounds of the elusive Canada lynx.

By using cutting-edge technology such as a Fitbit and spy mic, experts were able to analyze the predator's behaviour including their hunting, fighting and sleeping habits.

Researchers from the U of A say the latest discovery “provides a first look at how miniaturized technology can open the door to remote wildlife monitoring.”

Credit: University of Alberta

The Canada lynx is considered one of the boreal forest’s top predators, according to Emily Studd, a post-doctoral fellow in the department of biological sciences.

“We found that two different technologies, accelerometers and recording devices, can be used remotely to monitor the hunting behaviour of predators, even documenting the killing of small prey,” she said.

According to Studd, the team was able to capture chases, friendly and aggressive interactions with other animals, screams of the prey as they were caught, and calls of the prey as they escaped -- along with bones crushing.

“Unfortunately, predators are naturally secretive animals due to their need to sneak up on their prey,” Studd noted. “Which makes studying them and recording this information incredibly difficult.”

The new insight into the lynx’s behaviour provides critical information to ecologists. Studd said it allows them to study the well-being of an ecosystem in greater depth.

Moving forward, Studd explained the accelerators and audio recorders can now be applied to any predator to monitor other hunting patterns in the wild.

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2021-05-31 19:14:00Z
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Strong school and family ties buffer gender-diverse teens from bullying and hostility - UBC News

New report first to highlight experiences of gender-diverse youth in B.C. schools

B.C.’s gender-diverse youth continue to face significant bullying and harassment, but a new report underlines how social supports like strong school and family relationships make a significant impact on their well-being.

Researchers at UBC and McCreary Centre Society analyzed data from the B.C. Adolescent Health Survey, completed by more than 38,000 youth, ages 12-19 in schools across the province—including almost a thousand individuals who identify as transgender, non-binary or gender-questioning.

“This is the first time that a large-scale population-based school health survey in Canada specifically captured the experiences of gender-diverse youth, who are typically invisible in surveys of this kind,” says lead author Dr. Elizabeth Saewyc, a nursing professor who leads the Stigma and Resilience Among Vulnerable Youth Centre (SARAVYC) at UBC.

Dr. Elizabeth Saewyc

“It’s important for health care providers, educators and policymakers to understand their challenges and their strengths if we are to help them thrive.”

She added: “With this study, we now have a more balanced picture of the health and well-being of gender-diverse youth. They are telling us that family and community support, and opportunities to fully participate in society make a difference for their health—even when they face stigma and discrimination.”

Bullying and harassment

Violence and bullying remain significant issues for gender-diverse youth, notes the report.

Eight out of 10 (or 82 per cent) of trans boys said they experienced bullying in the year prior to the survey, as did 70 per cent of non-binary youth, 65 per cent of questioning youth, and 60 per cent of trans girls.

Online harassment was also significant, with 35 per cent of trans boys, 27 per cent of trans girls, 25 per cent of non-binary youth, and 20 per cent of questioning youth reporting being cyberbullied in the past year.

Dr. Annie Smith

Says report co-author Dr. Annie Smith, McCreary’s executive director and an adjunct professor at UBC: “The high rates of violence they report are concerning, because we know that young people who are bullied are at higher risk for extreme stress and other health problems. Overall, gender-diverse young people were one-and-a-half to six times more likely to report extreme stress in the past month than cisgender boys and girls. The levels of bullying and discrimination they face may partially explain some of the health differences we see for gender-diverse youth.”

Protective social ties

However, the good news is that gender-diverse youth who felt highly connected to their school were more likely to report good or excellent mental health, compared to those who lacked this sense of connectedness. They were also less likely to have experienced negative consequences due to substance use, or to have seriously considered or attempted suicide.

Gender-diverse youth who reported greater feelings of family connectedness were much less likely to report extreme stress, suicidal thoughts and attempts, or problems with substance use, than young people whose families didn’t understand them or support them.

Gender-diverse youth with unsupportive families were also much more likely to have missed physical or mental health care when they needed it.

In addition, the report highlights the importance of extracurricular activities for gender-diverse young people. More than four out of five participated in activities such as team sports, art, drama and music, and volunteer work—many of them at least weekly. Previous research has shown involvement in meaningful activities, where young people have a voice and their ideas are taken up, contributes to their well-being.

“Gender-diverse young people face a number of challenges to their health and well-being, but they also have ideas about how to create safer and more supportive environments,” said Dr. Saewyc. “We owe it to them to listen and act to improve their health and their futures.”

Click here to access the report, Gender-Diverse: A Spotlight on the Health of Trans and Non-Binary Young People in B.C.

Interview language(s): English

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2021-05-31 16:12:03Z
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NASA Mars rover spots iridescent 'mother of pearl' clouds - CNET

Clouds drift over Mount Sharp in the Gale Crater on March 19, 2021, as seen by NASA's Curiosity rover.

NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

Mars has a lot of wind and dust devils, but, unlike Earth, it's not really famous for its clouds. That's one reason a collection of Martian cloud images from NASA's Curiosity rover is so stunning.

Scientists had noticed clouds starting to form on Mars earlier than expected, so this year they laid in wait to make sure Curiosity could capture the ethereal formations, some of which took on very colorful characteristics.

"More than just spectacular displays, such images help scientists understand how clouds form on Mars and why these recent ones are different," NASA said in statement on Friday.  

Researchers discovered the earliest cloud arrivals appeared at higher altitudes. A typical Mars clouds would be made of water ice, something we see on Earth. But these high-flying clouds might actually be made of dry ice, frozen carbon dioxide. The idea is still under investigation.

Curiosity captured a suite of clouds views this year. You can watch the ghostly wisps moving in GIFs NASA put together. Some are examples of noctilucent "night-shining" clouds made of water ice. "Viewed just after sunset, their ice crystals catch the fading light, causing them to appear to glow against the darkening sky," said NASA.  

The noctilucent clouds are made of water ice. Curiosity snapped them on March 31, 2021.

NASA/JPL-Caltech

Noctilucent clouds also happen on Earth. Researchers watched them in our upper atmosphere last year in the Arctic. Sometimes they wander and become visible farther to the south.

Curiosity's Martian cloud scrapbook also included color images showing scenic "mother of pearl" clouds that glisten with an iridescent glow. 

NASA's Curiosity rover snapped this panorama of "mother of pearl" clouds on Mars on March 5, 2021.

NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

"If you see a cloud with a shimmery pastel set of colors in it, that's because the cloud particles are all nearly identical in size," said atmospheric scientist Mark Lemmon with the Space Science Institute in Colorado. "That's usually happening just after the clouds have formed and have all grown at the same rate."

Lemmon said these ethereal clouds "are among the more colorful things" on Mars. It's like Mars decided it didn't want to be stereotyped as just the "red planet" anymore. As the pinks and blues and greens of the clouds show, it's got some range to its palette.

Follow CNET's 2021 Space Calendar to stay up to date with all the latest space news this year. You can even add it to your own Google Calendar.      

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2021-05-31 14:30:21Z
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The Morning After: A surprising cloudy day on Mars - Yahoo Canada Finance

GlobeNewswire

Victory Square Technologies Provides Corporate Update as at May 31, 2021

While 2020 represented an ‘Inflection Point’ in the Victory Square business model, 2021 can be labelled the “Harvest”. Following the successful spin-off of FansUnite in 2020, we’ve got GameOn, Immersive and potentially 3 more portfolio companies teed up to be spun off in the next 12 months. - Shafin Diamond Tejani Victory Square CEO VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 31, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Victory Square Technologies Inc. (“Victory Square'' or “the Company”) (CSE:VST) (OTC:VSQTF) (FWB:6F6), a company that provides investors access to a diverse portfolio of next generation internet companies in key sectors including: digital health, gaming, blockchain, AR/VR, cybersecurity, the circular economy and cloud computing is pleased to provide a corporate update as at May 31, 2021. Victory Square Technologies Reported Record Net Income of $19,733,031 and Positive Earnings Per Share of $0.30 in Fiscal 2020. Four Consecutive Quarters of Positive Net Income and Earnings Per ShareIssued a Special Common Share Dividend of Its Interest in Portfolio Company GameOn Entertainment Technologies Inc.Victory Square Board of Directors Approved a Special Common Share Dividend of Its Interest in Portfolio Company Fantasy 360 Technologies Inc. dba Immersive Tech Upon Listing and is Subject to CSE and Other Necessary ApprovalsAnnounced Oversubscribed Financings for Portfolio Companies: GameOn, Immersive Tech and FansuniteAcquired IV Hydreight, a Mobile Health and Online Pharmacy SolutionIV Hydreight Teamed up with Victory Square Health to Expand its Offerings in BrazilLaunched DiscreetCare.com, a Telehealth Service Across the USACompleted $6,000,000 Sale of VPN PlatformSigned Binding Letter of Intent to Invest in Renewable Energy Company - Stardust SolarGameOn to Begin Trading June 1, 2021 on the CSE Under the Symbol (CSE:GET)Featured in: Forbes, Entrepreneur & Worth Magazine “Over the past 48 months, the Company has teamed up with some of the brightest and forward thinking entrepreneurs from around the world. The success of many of the earlier invested companies resulted in VST posting record net income of just under $20M and positive earnings per share of $.30 for fiscal 2020. While 2020 represented an ‘Inflection Point’ in the Victory Square business model, 2021 can be labelled the “Harvest”. Following the successful spin-off of FansUnite in 2020, we’ve got GameOn, Immersive and potentially 3 more portfolio companies teed up to be spun off in the next 12 months. In addition, we’ve seen significant growth in 2021 from our other portfolio companies, including Covalent, Hydreight and the recent launch of DiscreetCare.com,” said Shafin Diamond Tejani Victory Square CEO. The Company is pleased to provide an update from January 1, 2021 through to May 31, 2021. January 2021 Victory Square Technologies to Implement Normal Course Issuer Bid Share Buy-Back Program in 2021Immersive Tech, Announces the Creation of World’s First COVID-safe Location-Based Entertainment (LBE) Virtual Reality (VR) Division “UNCONTAINED”FansUnite Entertainment (CSE:FANS) Announces Closing of Upsized and Oversubscribed $13.4 Million Private PlacementImmersive Tech, Hires Former Senior Executive of the ‘The VOID’, Steven Dooner to lead UNCONTAINED Franchise Development February 2021 Victory Square Technologies Announces Completion of Acquisition of IV Hydreight, An On-Demand & On-Site Mobile Health, Pharmaceutical & Wellness Service Provider Across the USAGameOn Announces J Moses as Chairman of Board of DirectorsGaming Veteran Mike Vorhaus Joins GameOn as Strategic AdvisorFormer Soccer Star Tim Cahill Joins GameOn as Strategic Advisor March 2021 Victory Square Technologies Completes $6,000,000 Sale Of VPN Platform To Cloud Nine Web3 TechnologiesGameOn completes an oversubscribed $5,800,000 financing roundVictory Square Technologies Provides 2021- Q1 Corporate UpdateFormer Head of Business at Apple News+, Liz Schimel, Joins GameOn Entertainment Technologies’ Board of DirectorsVictory Square Technologies CEO Issues Future Forecast Letter to ShareholdersImmersive Tech Teams Up With Celebrity YouTube Creator Chris Ramsay On An Exclusive Immersive Experience That Will Be Featured On His Social Media Channels To His 6.4 Million FansImmersive Tech Adds Three “Game Changers” To Its Strategic Advisory BoardHydreight & Victory Square Health, Team Up To Expand Telehealth Product Offerings in Brazil April 2021 Victory Square Technologies Reports Record Net Income Of $19,733,031 and Positive Earnings Per Share of $0.30 in Fiscal 2020Victory Square Technologies Inc. Announces Closing of Immersive Tech’s Oversubscribed Financing For Gross Proceeds of $2.3 MillionImmersive Tech, Announces LOI With Autobahn Indoor Speedway For An Initial Purchase Of Their “UNCONTAINED” VR Attraction With An Option To Purchase Up To 10 UnitsUNCONTAINED - Product Reveal PromoVictory Square Technologies Portfolio Companies Announce Strategic Partnership to Launch NFT (Non-Fungible Token) Products & Managed Services PlatformVST signed a Binding LOI with Stardust Solar. Stardust Solar is a leading renewable energy company operating across North America. May 2021 Victory Square Technologies Declares a Special Common Share Dividend Of Its Interest in Portfolio Company GameOn Entertainment Technologies Inc.GameOn Announces Start of Trading On The CSE Under Symbol (CSE:GET) on June 1, 2021Victory Square Technologies Launches DiscreetCare – a Full-Service Web App for the Treatment of Sensitive & Delicate Medical Issues Media & Conferences The Company’s Executive Team has been featured in a variety of publications which include: Forbes, Entrepreneur and Worth. Additionally, the Company has been actively engaged in many virtual conferences this year, including: H.C. Wainwright CryptoCurrency Blockchain and FinTech conference, The Planet MicroCap Virtual Showcase, and the Lytham Conference. Forbes : How To Jump-Start Your Second-Order Thinking After The CrisisForbes: The Cybersecurity Gap Hidden In The BackgroundForbes: UNCONTAINED Hopes To Fill The Void Left In LBVR With Hyper-Immersive Plug-And-Play Modular UnitsForbes: This Week In XR: Apple VR, Save Poly, LBVR Still KickingEntrepreneur: How Smart Toilets, Toothbrushes and Thermometers May Soon Save Your LifeEntrepreneur: Why Voice Tech Will Be the Post-Crisis Standard -- and Not Just for Ordering PizzaEntrepreneur: The Next Big Thing for TV: Co-ViewingWorth: What I’ve Learned From Working With Gen Z Entrepreneurs Visit VictorySquare.com and sign up for the official newsletter of Victory Square at www.VictorySquare.com/newsletter. On behalf of the board, Shafin Diamond TejaniChief Executive Officer For further information about the Company, please contact: Investor Relations Contact – Edge Communications GroupEmail: ir@victorysquare.com Telephone: 604 283-9166 Media Relations Contact – Howard Blank, DirectorEmail: howard@victorysquare.com ABOUT VICTORY SQUARE TECHNOLOGIES INC. Victory Square (VST) builds, acquires and invests in promising startups, then provides the senior leadership and resources needed to fast-track growth. VST's sweet spot is the cutting-edge tech that's shaping the 4th Industrial Revolution. Our portfolio consists of 20 global companies using AI, VR/AR and blockchain to disrupt sectors as diverse as fintech, insurance, health and gaming. What we do differently for startups VST isn't just another investor. With real skin in the game, we're committed to ensuring each company in our portfolio succeeds. Our secret sauce starts with selecting startups that have real solutions, not just ideas. We pair you with senior talent in product, engineering, customer acquisition and more. Then we let you do what you do best — build, innovate and disrupt. In 24-36 months, you'll scale and be ready to monetize. What we do differently for investors For investors, we offer early-stage access to the next unicorns before they're unicorns. Our portfolio represents a uniquely liquid and secure way for investors to get access to the latest cutting-edge technologies. Because we focus on market-ready solutions that scale quickly, we're able to provide strong and stable returns while also tapping into emerging global trends with big upsides. VST is a publicly-traded company headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, and listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange (VST), Frankfurt Exchange (6F6) and the OTCQX (VSQTF). For more information, please visit www.victorysquare.com. ABOUT THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE (CSE)The Canadian Securities Exchange, or CSE, is operated by CNSX Markets Inc. Recognized as a stock exchange in 2004, the CSE began operations in 2003 to provide a modern and efficient alternative for companies looking to access the Canadian public capital markets. The Canadian Securities Exchange, nor its Regulation Services Provider has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release and accepts no responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy hereof. FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION This news release contains “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable securities laws relating to the outlook of the business of Victory Square, including, without limitation, statements relating to future performance, execution of business strategy, future growth, business prospects and opportunities of Victory Square and its related subsidiaries and other factors beyond our control. Such forward-looking statements may, without limitation, be preceded by, followed by, or include words such as “believes”, “expects”, “anticipates”, “estimates”, “intends”, “plans”, “continues”, “project”, “potential”, “possible”, “contemplate”, “seek”, “goal”, or similar expressions, or may employ such future or conditional verbs as “may”, “might”, “will”, “could”, “should” or “would”, or may otherwise be indicated as forward-looking statements by grammatical construction, phrasing or context. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this news release are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking information is based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by the management of Victory Square. Although Victory Square believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward looking information is based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on them because Victory Square can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Actual results and developments may differ materially from those contemplated by these statements. The statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release. Victory Square disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, other than as required by applicable securities laws. The Canadian Securities Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release and accepts no responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy hereof.

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2021-05-31 11:26:00Z
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NASA`s Curiosity Rover clicks rare shiny clouds on Mars - WION

Clouds are an everyday matter here on Earth. There are times we glance at the sky and imagine all sorts of shapes in those ever-changing patterns of vapour. But most of the time we are too busy in our daily lives to even take a second to look up and marvel the beauty of the sky.

We don't realise how lucky we are because our planet has clouds. 

But now NASA's Curiosity rover has captured some brilliant images and videos of clouds in the Martian sky!

Mars has an atmosphere yes. But it is too thin and dry to enable cloud formation on regular basis. And that's why formation of clouds in Martian atmosphere is a rare thing itself.

"Sometimes you just need to stop and watch the clouds roll by... on Mars. Cloudy days are rare here because the atmosphere is so thin and dry, but I've been keeping my cameras peeled and wanted to share some recent pictures with you," tweeted the rover's official Twitter handle, thus starting an incredible thread. Check this out

×

Thousands of likes on the post is enough to say that people have found the images and videos in the thread above absolutely mesmerising!

There are many many comments and Curiosity Rover's handle took time to answer some of the questions and reply to some of the comments.

"Sometimes I forget there's a little robot rolling around alone on Mars," tweeted a user.

The rover said, "I'm alone here in Gale Crater, but I'm not lonely. I get to talk to all my friends and teammates back on Earth through the Deep Space Network..."

Mars has long captivated human imagination. Across millennia, the red planet has gone from being a mythical God of War to a probable place to find life.

And from what Curiosity rover has captured, the planet still has some secrets up its sleeve.

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2021-05-31 11:10:10Z
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Newly discovered glaciers on Mars may help humans settle on the Red Planet one day - CBC.ca

If humans are to truly become interplanetary settlers, we're going to need to have access to water — a lot of it. But loading it on a rocket would be heavy, and trying to escape Earth's gravity with all that weight would be costly.

That's why space agencies such as NASA and the European Space Agency, as well as planetary geologists, have been looking for sources of water on Mars. 

Now, a new paper published in the journal Icarus suggests there is a unique subsurface ice feature in a location that would be optimal for future explorers of the Red Planet.

Ideally, human colonies would be located close to the equator, where it is not only more temperate — in Mars terms — but also easier for a spacecraft to land and take off.

Satellite observations by orbiters around Mars suggest there is an ice sheet in a flat plain called Arcadia Planitia at roughly 35 degrees north latitude. It's a site that both NASA and SpaceX are considering for future human exploration. 

A satellite image of the Arcadia Planitia plain. New research suggests there is a channel of subsurface ice in the flat region that could make it an ideal place for human settlement. (NASA/JPL/Arizona State University)

In this new study, researchers found that it's not just an ice sheet, but a kind of shallow river of ice, similar to what we see in regions of Antarctica.

"When you look closer, you find a lot of characteristics that point to these being glaciers of channelized ice. But what's so odd about it is that it's in a flatline terrain," said Shannon Hibbard, lead author of the paper and a PhD candidate at Western University in London, Ont. 

Typically, glaciers would be found either in valleys, gullies or forming around the base of mountains. Instead, this is in a flat area; these types of ice flows weren't expected on Mars. 

But it's great news for future human Martians.

"We want to basically land as low, or as close to the equator as we can, and Arcadia Planitia is pretty dang close," Hibbard said.

It's also promising, she said, because the evidence of this massive ice reserve is in a relatively flat area, "and we want to land somewhere flat and boring because that's the safest place to land."

Just how much ice is there? Based on previous research that suggested roughly 13,000 to 61,000 cubic kilometres are  below the surface in Arcadia Planitia, the researchers suggest 3.5 to 16 per cent of that volume is the ice channel. 

Millions of years in the making

Earth and Mars have axial tilts of 23.5 degrees and 25 degrees, respectively. And while Earth's tilt shifts slightly, Mars's tilt can shift by as much as 60 degrees, said Tanya Harrison, a Mars researcher and planetary scientist at Planet Labs, an Earth imaging company, who was not involved in the research.

"At some point in the last few tens of thousands to millions of years, that ice has actually migrated from what [was] the pole to what is today the equator, because the equator becomes the pole," she said.

The findings are particularly exciting to Harrison because they also reveal what Mars was like so long ago.

"Usually when you think of glaciers flowing, they're on the side of a mountain, you know, you have a steep slope that is causing those things to flow downhill. But if you have a flat surface, it's generally kind of hard to get things moving," she said.

"So seeing that maybe we had these ice streams on Mars is really cool, since we've never really documented anything that looked like that before."

Images of a fresh meteorite crater 12 metres across located within Arcadia Planitia on Mars show how ice faded with time. The images were taken in November 2008, left, and January 2009. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona)

The ice could be used for irrigation, drinking water as well as rocket fuel, which can be made by splitting the hydrogen and oxygen, something that's also been proposed for missions to the moon.

Current radar is able to penetrate from 30 metres to a few kilometres below the surface, said Gordon Osinski, co-author of the paper and director of Western University's Institute for Earth and Space Exploration. But there's more to learn. And it might involve sending a satellite to explore those depths or perhaps a dedicated rover, he said.

"We have a big unknown in the top 10 to 20 metres," he said. "If there is ice there and how much, and of course that's the critical depth, we're not going to go deeper than that remotely to get ice for these human missions."

It's possible Canada will consider playing a role in further research and shallow mapping of the area, particularly after the success of the Canadian radar used on the OSIRIS-REx mission to the asteroid Bennu.

"I really do think there's a need for this mission, and Canada could play a big role because there is the idea that it would be a Canadian radar that would fly on that mission to look at these shallow ice deposits," Osinski said. "So, you know, that's quite exciting to me."

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2021-05-31 08:00:00Z
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A new NASA photo shows the "violent energy" of our galaxy / "This is evidence of a continuum of magnetic field reconnection" - Space - SwordsToday.ie

After two decades of research, NASA has released an image describing the “violent energy” that is not found at the center of our galaxy. CNN.

The stunning panorama was compiled using data from NASA’s Lunar X – Ray Observatory and the Mirkat Radio Telescope in South Africa.

The X-ray wire, known as G0.17-0.41, is recorded in the images, and the researchers suggest a system that can control the flow of energy and even the evolution of the Milky Way.

“The galaxy is like an ecosystem,” said Daniel Wang, an astronomer at Amherst University in Massachusetts. “We know where the center of the galaxy is and how it plays a major role in their evolution.”

It is difficult to study our own galaxy because it is covered with gas and dust. The low – energy X – rays were red, the intermediate energy radiation was green, and the high energy radiation was blue, which the researchers were able to access using the lunar X – ray observatory.

The research, published in the Royal Astronomical Society’s monthly publications, provides a clear picture of the area near the black hole in the center of the galaxy up to the date of a pair of X – ray panels.

Researchers were particularly interested in the X-ray wire G0.17-0.41, which, according to Wang, “reveals a new phenomenon.”

“This is evidence of the event of a continuous magnetic field reconnecting.” Wang writes only about the “edge of the iceberg that reconnects”.

When the magnetic fields are strongly resistive and emit a large amount of energy, the magnetic field reconnects. These events produce Northern Lights and cause phenomena such as solar flares.

“This is a violent trial,” Wang said.

As shown in the simulations above, the magnetic field lines are twisted and joined so that every day the magnet reconnects around the earth. It happens in different ways and in different places with different effects. Particles in ionized gases, i.e., transform into plasma and cause powerful explosions in a fraction of a second. This leads to an influx of electrons flying at supersonic speeds.

Magnetic recombination takes place in the Sun and the universe, and in all cases involves strong pulses with particles leading to most of the change we see in dynamic cosmic environments.

Prone to fits of apathy. Unable to type with boxing gloves on. Internet advocate. Avid travel enthusiast. Entrepreneur. Music expert.

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2021-05-31 04:16:58Z
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New NASA photo shows our galaxy's 'violent energy' - CTV News

NASA has released an image detailing the never-before-seen "violent energy" at the centre of our galaxy, created after two decades of research.

The stunning panorama was compiled using data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and the MeerKAT radio telescope in South Africa.

Images also documented an X-ray thread known as G0.17-0.41 that researchers say suggests a mechanism that could control the energy flow, and even the evolution of the Milky Way.

"The galaxy is like an ecosystem," University of Massachusetts Amherst astronomer Daniel Wang explained in a statement. "We know the centres of galaxies are where the action is and play an enormous role in their evolution."

Our own galaxy is hard to study as it is obscured by a fog of gas and dust. But researchers were able to penetrate the fog using the Chandra X-Ray Observatory, which sees X-rays instead of visible light.

The research, published in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, gives the clearest picture to date of a pair of X-ray emitting plumes coming from the area near the black hole at the centre of the galaxy.

Researchers were especially interested in the X-ray thread G0.17-0.41, which, according to Wang, "reveals a new phenomenon."

"This is evidence of an ongoing magnetic field reconnection event." The thread, writes Wang, probably represents "only the tip of the reconnection iceberg."

Magnetic field reconnection events occur when opposing magnetic fields are forced together and combine, expelling lots of energy. These events produce Northern Lights, and are responsible for phenomena like solar flares.

"It's a violent process," Wang said.

Scientists now think that magnetic reconnection also takes place in interstellar space and occurs at the outer boundaries of the expanding plumes driven out of our galaxy's centre.

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2021-05-30 21:31:00Z
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‘Cosmic masterpiece’: New Nasa image shows ‘violent energy’ of Milky Way ‘downtown’ - Hindustan Times

Threads of superheated gas and magnetic fields are weaving a tapestry of energy at the center of the Milky Way galaxy.

‘Cosmic masterpiece’: New Nasa image shows ‘violent energy’ of Milky Way ‘downtown’

• The new panorama was compiled using a giant mosaic of data from Nasa's Chandra X-ray Observatory and the MeerKAT radio telescope in South Africa.

By hindustantimes.com | Written by Kunal Gaurav, Hindustan Times, New Delhi

PUBLISHED ON MAY 30, 2021 07:28 PM IST

Nasa has released a stunning image of the Milky Way galaxy’s “violent” and super-energised “downtown”, created after 370 observations over the past two decades. The new panorama, touted as a “cosmic masterpiece”, was compiled using a giant mosaic of data from Nasa's Chandra X-ray Observatory and the MeerKAT radio telescope in South Africa. The image depicts billions of stars and countless black holes in the centre of the Milky Way.

“What we see in the picture is a violent or energetic ecosystem in our galaxy’s downtown,” Astronomer Daniel Wang of the University of Massachusetts Amherst told Associated Press in an email.

“There are a lot of supernova remnants, black holes, and neutron stars there. Each X-ray dot or feature represents an energetic source, most of which are in the center,” Wang added.

Sharing the image, Nasa noted that the threads of superheated gas and magnetic fields are “weaving a tapestry of energy at the center of the Milky Way galaxy.” According to the US space agency, the latest image expands Chandra’s image, which was based on previous surveys, farther above and below the plane of the Galaxy where most of the Galaxy's stars reside.

Nasa explained that orange, green, blue and purple colours are X-rays from Chandra showing different X-ray energies.(Nasa)

Also Read | Nasa’s Ingenuity helicopter survives wild flight after a navigation error. Here’s what happened

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration explained that orange, green, blue and purple colours are X-rays from Chandra showing different X-ray energies. The radio data received from MeerKAT are shown in lilac and grey. “One thread is particularly intriguing because it has X-ray and radio emission intertwined. It points perpendicular to the plane of the galaxy and is about 20 light years long but only one-hundredth that size in width,” said Nasa.

A new study of the X-ray and radio properties of this “thread” by Wang, who spent over a year working on it, suggests these features are bound together by thin strips of magnetic fields. Wang’s study describing these results will appear in the June issue of the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, and a preprint is available online.

(With agency inputs)

Topics

nasa milky way milky way galaxy + 1 more

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2021-05-30 13:58:25Z
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NASA Releases New Images of the Milky Way's 'Violent Core' - Interesting Engineering

NASA is known for releasing stunning images of space phenomena that take our breaths away and leave us ever more curious about the exciting universe we live in. Now, it seems the agency has outdone itself.

Recently, it released an image of the Milky Way's center that features its superheated gas and magnetic fields. The image is courtesy of NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and the MeerKAT radio telescope in South Africa.

"The new panorama of the Galactic Center builds on previous surveys from Chandra and other telescopes. This latest version expands Chandra's high-energy view farther above and below the plane of the Galaxy — that is, the disk where most of the Galaxy's stars reside — than previous imaging endeavors. In the image featured in our main graphic, X-rays from Chandra are orange, green, blue, and purple, showing different X-ray energies, and the radio data from MeerKAT are shown in lilac and gray. The main features in the image are shown in a labeled version," writes NASA in its post accompanying the awe-inspiring image.

NASA points out a particularly intriguing threat that has X-ray and radio emission intertwined and is about 20 light-years long but only one-hundredth that size in width.

Q. Daniel Wang of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst has studied this thread and revealed that its features are bound together by thin strips of magnetic fields. NASA speculates that such strips may have formed when magnetic fields aligned in different directions, collided, and became twisted around each other.

This beautiful process is called magnetic reconnection and is reminiscent of the phenomenon that drives energetic particles away from the Sun. It is also the source of the space weather that sometimes affects Earth.

These threads also give key insights into the Galactic space weather astronomers have witnessed throughout the region, weather driven by volatile phenomena such as supernova explosions and our Galaxy's supermassive black hole.

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The new image also reveals large plumes of hot gas, which extend for about 700 light-years above and below the plane of the galaxy. NASA further speculates that these plumes may be galactic-scale outflows.

All in all, the panorama provides a detailed and exciting look into the core of our Milky Way Galaxy that has never truly be seen in this detail before. Although it takes experts to analyze what is in the image it does not take any expertise whatsoever to enjoy its sheer beauty. Well done NASA! Here are 10 more breathtaking photos taken from Space.

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2021-05-30 13:26:00Z
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Photos: When Dubai, Sharjah and UAE residents were awestruck by super blood moon - Gulf News

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The super moon rises over Sharjah skies. The moon put on a show for many parts of the world Wednesday, as the first total lunar eclipse in more than two years coincided with a super moon. Image Credit: Virendra Saklani/Gulf News

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The super moon is seen over Dubai skies. The reddish-orange colour of the super "blood" moon is the result of all the sunrises and sunsets in Earth's atmosphere projected onto the surface of the eclipsed moon. Image Credit: Clint Egbert/Gulf News

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Super moon over Dubai skies. More lunar shows are coming later this year. On November 19 there will be a nearly total eclipse where the moon dims but doesn't turn red. Image Credit: Ahmed Ramzan/Gulf News

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Super moon over Dubai skies. The next total lunar eclipse will be May 2022. The last one was January 2019. Image Credit: Ahmed Ramzan/Gulf News

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Dubai residents watch and click photos of the super moon. Image Credit: Ahmed Ramzan/Gulf News

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The colour of the moon during the total eclipse can appear different depending on where people are in the world, and by factors like the amount of dust in the atmosphere and global weather. Image Credit: Virendra Saklani/Gulf News

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Neither a supermoon nor a blood moon is that rare, but seeing both together is unusual, scientists say. It usually happens once every several years, depending on where in the world you live. Image Credit: Ahmed Ramzan/Gulf News

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A supermoon occurs in about 25% of lunar cycles, while a total lunar eclipse occurs in about 5% of them. Image Credit: Virendra Saklani/Gulf News

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The last supermoon and total lunar eclipse occurred on January 21, 2019, and the next one will be on October 8, 2033. Image Credit: Clint Egbert/Gulf News

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Shajrah Image Credit: Virendra Saklani/Gulf News

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Dubai Image Credit: Ahmed Ramzan/Gulf News

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Dubai Image Credit: Ahmed Ramzan/Gulf News

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Sharjah Image Credit: Virendra Saklani/Gulf News

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Sharjah Image Credit: Virendra Saklani/Gulf News

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Dubai Image Credit: Ahmed Ramzan/Gulf News

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Image Credit: Sharjah

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Dubai Image Credit: Ahmed Ramzan/Gulf News

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Sharjah Image Credit: Virendra Saklani/Gulf News

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Dubai Image Credit: Ahmed Ramzan/Gulf News

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Dubai Image Credit: Clint Egbert/Gulf News

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2021-05-30 08:39:18Z
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NASA displays 'cosmic masterpiece' of the Milky Way - CTV News

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2021-05-29 15:15:12Z
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First European female astronaut to command International Space Station - Euronews

The European Space Agency has confirmed that the Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti will be the first European woman to command the International Space Station.

She enters a rare club: fewer than 600 astronauts have travelled in space and only about ten percent of them have been women.

Cristoforetti is affectionately known in her home country as 'AstroSamantha' or "AstroSam".

She was the first Italian woman in space and only the third woman in the world to have spent time on the station.

And at 199 days and 16 hours, Cristoforetti also holds the record for the longest uninterrupted spaceflight by a European astronaut.

America's NASA, Russia’s Roscosmos, Japan’s JAXA, Canada’s CSA and the European Space Agency decide by consensus which astronaut will lead the station.

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2021-05-29 12:11:02Z
CAIiED6SZwxt7zPKNRwLL3nteUYqFwgEKg8IACoHCAow-ZzLBzD77Ecwm8B5

Fabric Of Our Galaxy: NASA Releases Stunning Image Of Milky Way's Galactic Centre - Gadgets 360

NASA shared a stunning panoramic view of the Milky Way's galactic centre on Instagram. Explaining the photo, the space agency said threads of superheated gas and magnetic fields weave a tapestry of energy at the centre of the Milky Way galaxy. NASA captioned the post, “The fabric of our galaxy.” This image of the cosmic masterpiece was created after using data received from NASA's Chandra X-Ray Observatory and the MeerKAT radio telescope in South Africa. In the post, the agency said that X-rays from Chandra are orange, green, blue, and purple, showing different energies, and the radio data from MeerKAT are shown in lilac and grey.

It further wrote that “unravelling these threads taught us what the weather was like in that region of space.” The weather, according to NASA, is determined by “volatile phenomena such as supernova explosions and outbursts of matter near the bright centre of the cluster,” where Sagittarius A — a supermassive black hole — is located. It said the combination of X-ray and radio views allowed us to “see magnetic fields that have aligned in different directions, collided, and became twisted around each other in a process called magnetic reconnection.”

On its website, NASA said that the new panorama of the galactic centre builds on previous surveys from Chandra and other telescopes. It adds that the latest version expands Chandra's high-energy view farther above and below the plane of the Galaxy — that is, the disk where most of the Galaxy's stars reside — than previous imaging campaigns.

NASA said one thread, in particular, was intriguing, for it had X-ray and radio emission intertwined. "It points perpendicular to the plane of the galaxy and is about 20 light-years long but only one-hundredth that size in width," the space agency said.

On Instagram, users reacted to the panoramic view of the galaxy, calling it “unreal” and “breathtaking” among other things. The post has been liked by over 918,110 users.

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2021-05-29 11:44:11Z
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Nurses experiencing more burnout, stress as 3rd wave takes toll - CBC.ca

An Ottawa nurse is speaking out about what she's experienced throughout the pandemic — and the third wave in particular — in hopes people continue to take precautions to avoid a fourth.

Ottawa's key COVID-19 indicators have been on a downward trend since reaching new heights at the end of March.

Still, the third wave has taken its toll on health-care workers who have been stretched thin, especially as hospital admissions rose significantly and patients were transferred among hospitals throughout the province.

"We have had several patients in their 20s who have had to be intubated, who have had to have chest tubes as a result of COVID and who have needed ICU admission," said Laura Crich, a registered nurse at The Ottawa Hospital's Civic Campus.

Crich said it's been challenging to see not only younger patients who are "extremely unwell," but also entire generations of families hit hard by the illness.

That's sometimes left patients with no support and no one to bring them items from home, Crich said, because everyone in their family is just as sick as they are.

"[It's] very overwhelming," she said. "And something I've seen a lot more of in the third wave."

Laura Crich works in the emergency department at The Ottawa Hospital's Civic campus. She said the pandemic has taken its toll on health-care staff who've experienced a lot of long days with very sick people. (Submitted by Laura Crich)

While there's been a palpable drop in fear among her colleagues since they were vaccinated, Crich says they're still carrying a lot of the emotional baggage that comes with spending hours with individual patients.

"I think nurses are experiencing a lot more burnout and stress trying to manage, you know, just the heightened level of fear and anxiety and anger in patients," she said.

"We take on a lot of that."

'Unrelenting' stress leading to burnout

The trauma front-line health-care workers are experiencing can pose a significant challenge, said Michael Seto, research director at The Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre.

Seto has studied workplace exposure to stress and its effect on health-care staff, including how being exposed to violence, injury or fear for one's life can lead to PTSD.

He and his fellow researchers found chronic stress can lead to PTSD symptoms and other mental health conditions, which tended to be worse in nurses.

Seto said he suspects the pandemic has only exacerbated the effect of vicarious trauma, which can occur when nurses see patients go through traumatic experiences.

"There's always been exposure to those kinds of serious injury or death. I think what's different ... is this idea of cumulative exposure," he said. "When it's a higher frequency, or there's kind of no break [and] it's unrelenting, that kind of cumulative exposure can really have a large impact."

Michael Seto has researched how exposure to trauma at work can have an effect on health-care workers, with some developing symptoms of PTSD, depression and anxiety. (Zoom)

Seto suspects the true effect may not be known until this third wave is over.

"When you're under a really tight deadline at work or under a lot of stress or a lot of pressure, you know, you sort of rise to it. You're staying up really late, you're not eating well," he said.

"[When that's done] it's then that you sort of collapse and you feel like you can't get out of bed."

As for Crich, she has a message for people.

"We're here and if you need to come to hospital, please do," she said. "But also, please stay home and take care of your health and your family's health by staying home."

And also, she says, get vaccinated.

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2021-05-29 08:00:14Z
CBMiSGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNiYy5jYS9uZXdzL2NhbmFkYS9vdHRhd2EvbnVyc2UtYnVybm91dC10aGlyZC13YXZlLTEuNjA0NDU2OdIBIGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNiYy5jYS9hbXAvMS42MDQ0NTY5

NASA releases stunning new pic of Milky Way's 'downtown' | iNFOnews | Thompson-Okanagan's News Source - iNFOnews

This false-color X-ray and radio frequency image made available by NASA on Friday, May 28, 2021 shows threads of superheated gas and magnetic fields at the center of the Milky Way galaxy.

Image Credit: (NASA/CXC/UMass/Q.D. Wang, NRF/SARAO/MeerKAT via AP)

May 28, 2021 - 9:00 PM

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA has released a stunning new picture of our galaxy’s violent, super-energized “downtown.”

It's a composite of 370 observations over the past two decades by the orbiting Chandra X-ray Observatory, depicting billions of stars and countless black holes in the center, or heart, of the Milky Way. A radio telescope in South Africa also contributed to the image, for contrast.

Astronomer Daniel Wang of the University of Massachusetts Amherst said Friday he spent a year working on this while stuck at home during the pandemic.

“What we see in the picture is a violent or energetic ecosystem in our galaxy’s downtown,” Wang said in an email. “There are a lot of supernova remnants, black holes, and neutron stars there. Each X-ray dot or feature represents an energetic source, most of which are in the center.”

This busy, high-energy galactic center is 26,000 light years away.

His work appears in the June issue of the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

Launched in 1999, Chandra is in an extreme oval orbit around Earth.

___

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

News from © The Associated Press, 2021

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2021-05-29 04:00:34Z
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