भारतीय महासागर समाचार

Geese, storks and other migratory birds have arrived near the Miyun Reservoir in the northern Beijing City.

01:06

The Miyun Reservoir serves as a major water source in the Chinese capital and an important stopover as the flocks migrate for the spring.

Taishitun Town on the reservoir’s eastern bank has witnessed the arrival of a variety of cranes, including the red-crowned crane, white-naped crane and Siberian crane.

A bar-headed goose. /CFP

A bar-headed goose. /CFP

Migratory birds such as bar-headed geese, ruddy shelducks and black storks have also been seen foraging, frolicking and resting around the reservoir.

Monitoring systems have been established in key areas in Miyun District to better protect migratory birds. A big data analysis platform has also been used to collect the migratory routes, resting areas and activity patterns of birds to help improve protective measures.

(Cover: white-naped cranes. /CFP)

00:38

A fleet of AI-powered miniature drones developed by Chinese engineers has proven capable of autonomously traversing forests, potentially paving the way for a revolution in disaster response.

The drones, developed by researchers at Zhejiang University in east China, can navigate tight spaces and complex environments without human input.

“While traditional drones require skilled operators to control their flight with a remote controller, we have chosen to let drones make their own decisions, granting them the ability to perceive and observe the environment, make decisions and exercise control without human intervention,” said Zhou Xin, a PhD student at the College of Control Science and Engineering at Zhejiang University.

Rather than relying on satellite navigation systems, the drone fleets communicate with each other to autonomously avoid obstacles and coordinate movement.

“With the help of AI algorithms, drones can acquire the environmental information with their sensors acting as their ‘eyes’ and generate a 3D map of the surroundings. Leveraging this 3D mapping, drones can navigate freely and ensure collision-free movement. Moreover, collaborative algorithms have been developed to facilitate recognition and understanding among multiple drones, allowing for effective control of the entire fleet,” said Zhou.

According to their developers, these drones could have a wide range of applications in various scenarios, from tracking the health of forests to emergency response.

“For example, the drones can assist post-earthquake search and rescue efforts or firefighting operations. They can even accurately locate each tree in the forest environment and evaluate their growth status,” said Gao Fei, a PhD supervisor from the college.

00:45

Wildlife conservation personnel have witnessed a group of wild Asian elephants roaming around their habitat and feeding in a cornfield in Pu’er City, southwest China’s Yunnan Province.

The herd of elephants emerged from the forest and descended the mountainside one late afternoon in March.

“Elephants have their daily routine. They usually forage around 3 or 4 p.m., and they will bathe in rivers in hot weather. Also, they don’t go back to the forest at night until the next morning,” said Ma Wenhong, an Asian Elephant monitor at Jiangcheng County, Pu’er City.

After feasting on a field of growing corn cobs, they moved toward a river nearby.

The Asian elephant is not only the largest living land animal in Asia, but also the mammal with the longest pregnancy. In general, it takes 18 to 22 months for a female to give birth, so the birth rate of the elephants is low.  In Pu’er City, nine baby elephants have been born since 2023, according to the latest data.

In China, the Asian elephants are mainly found in Pu’er City, Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, and around Lincang City in Yunnan, with a population of about 360. The species are classified as national first-class protected animals.

A herd of elephants eat corn cobs at a cornfield in Jiangcheng County, Pu’er City, southwest China’s Yunnan Province. /China Media Group

A herd of elephants eat corn cobs at a cornfield in Jiangcheng County, Pu’er City, southwest China’s Yunnan Province. /China Media Group

The giant animals sometimes may threaten villagers’ lives and properties. To better monitor elephants’ activity and prevent the potential harm they may cause to people, the local government has hired professionals to conduct 24-hour tracking and monitoring of Asian elephants with a combination of drones and ground patrol.

Also, people whose croplands were damaged by wild animals, including Asian elephants, will get compensation with the special public liability insurance purchased by the local government. 

“During the new insurance policy period, the city of Pu’er has raised compensation standards for crops damaged by wild animals. For example, the rate for rice has been raised from 810 yuan ($112) per mu (667 square meters) to 1,538 yuan per mu, and for corn from 690 yuan per mu to 1,017 yuan per mu,” said Yang Yong, a senior engineer at the Forestry and Grassland Administration of Pu’er.

“Through these practices, the government hopes to protect wild animals and safeguard people’s interests at the same time,” Yang added.

(Cover image is a screenshot.)

01:52

The launch of Xiaomi SU7 has once again ignited consumers’ enthusiasm for new energy vehicles. CGTN’s Wang Tianyu heads to the streets to find out what’s behind consumers’ preferences for new energy vehicles and traditional gasoline-powered vehicles. Check out the video for answers!

Chinese researchers have devised a new method for designing drugs that target multiple aspects of complex diseases, potentially offering a breakthrough for treating mental illnesses like schizophrenia and dementia.

The method, called the flexible scaffold-based cheminformatics approach, creates drug molecules with a deformable structure that can bind to different parts of a cell receptor in various shapes. This allows the drug to address multiple aspects of the disease simultaneously.

A study detailing the approach, a collaboration between researchers in structural biology, cellular function, behavioral pharmacology and cheminformatics — the use of information technology to understand problems in chemistry — was published on Thursday in the journal Cell.

Mental illnesses are notoriously complex, with symptoms ranging from hallucinations and mania to social withdrawal, memory loss and insomnia. Traditional single-target drugs often struggle to address the full scope of such conditions.

“It’s widely acknowledged that for complex mental illnesses, drugs targeting multiple aspects are more effective than those targeting just one,” said Wang Sheng, a corresponding author of the study and researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Shanghai-based Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science. “This can not only improve efficacy but also alleviate more symptoms.”

The new approach offers several potential benefits for patients. By targeting multiple aspects of the disease, such drugs could potentially reduce the number of medications needed, simplifying treatment regimens and improving adherence. Additionally, the multi-target approach could minimize side effects often caused by interactions between multiple medications.

The researchers designed a molecule called IHCH-7179 using the new method. It can interact with two different receptors for the neurotransmitter serotonin. Depending on its shape, IHCH-7179 can either inhibit or activate the receptors, potentially suppressing manic and hallucinatory symptoms while also improving cognitive function.

Animal studies showed promise, with the new compound alleviating symptoms like mania and hearing impairment in models of schizophrenia and dementia.

“Our compound, compared to existing drugs with a single effect, could offer additional benefits like slowing cognitive decline,” Wang said.

The researchers believe the method also has broader implications for future drug development.

“The human body’s major systems are complex and interconnected,” said Xu Huaqiang, a co-corresponding author and researcher at the Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica. “This approach suggests a future direction for drug design that considers a disease’s impact on multiple systems.

“It could be significant for developing drugs targeting immunity, metabolism and other areas.”

Clinical trials for a schizophrenia treatment based on the method are expected to begin later this year, offering a potential new weapon in the fight against complex mental illnesses.