Plant doctor: An AI system that watches over urban trees without touching a leaf

 

Researchers combine machine vision and segmentation techniques into a tool to monitor urban plant health at the individual leaf level

Date:

April 2, 2025

Source:

Waseda University

Summary:

Monitoring urban plant health traditionally requires extensive manual labor and botanical expertise, creating challenges for cities facing expanding green spaces, higher population densities, and increasing threats to plants. Now, researchers have developed 'Plant Doctor,' an artificial intelligence-based tool that could revolutionize plant health monitoring. The proposed system can track individual leaves in urban video footage and precisely quantify the damage from pests and diseases, enabling scalable, non-invasive urban plant management.

Urban trees and plants do more than just beautify city landscapes. They purify the air, reduce urban heat islands, provide recreational spaces, and even boost property values. As essential components of sustainable urban ecosystems, plants silently contribute to our well-being. However, urban trees face many threats, including pests, diseases, and climate change, making it essential to keep their health in check.

Urban greenery monitoring has traditionally been a very labor-intensive process, requiring botanical expertise and considerable resources. With cities expanding worldwide and urban environments becoming more complex, keeping track of plant health has also become more difficult. Could artificial intelligence (AI) hold the key to addressing this challenge?

In a recent study, a joint research team led by Professor Umezu's Laboratory from the Department of Life Science and Medical Bioscience at Waseda University and Professor Shiojiri's Laboratory from the Faculty of Agriculture at Ryukoku University developed an innovative AI-driven solution for monitoring plant health. Their paper was published online in the journal Measurement on February 22, 2025, and will be published in Volume 249, on May 31, 2025. This study introduces 'Plant Doctor,' a hybrid AI system that automatically diagnoses urban tree health through video footage captured by ordinary cameras. "Machine vision techniques such as segmentation have great applications in the medical field. We wanted to extrapolate this technology to other areas, such as plant health," says first author Marques, explaining their motivation.

Plant Doctor combines two cutting-edge machine vision algorithms -- YOLOv8 and DeepSORT -- to identify and track individual leaves across video frames. The goal of these algorithms is to ensure that only the best images for each leaf are selected for further processing. Then, a third algorithm, called DeepLabV3Plus, performs detailed image segmentation to precisely quantify leaf damage. The proposed system can automatically detect diseased areas on individual leaves, such as spots caused by bacteria, pests, and fungi.

One of the most attractive aspects of this approach is its scalability and cost efficiency. The system can process video footage collected by cameras mounted not only on drones but also on city maintenance vehicles like garbage trucks, turning routine services into opportunities to gather data without investing substantial resources. Moreover, by using images rather than actual branches and leaves, Plant Doctor minimizes stress on city plants. "We have provided a tool for botanical experts to assess plant health in one solution without the need to gather samples and damage the plants in the process," remarks Marques. The research team validated the proposed system using footage of urban plants in Tokyo, obtaining favorable results and remarkably accurate leaf health diagnoses across various urban flora.

By combining plant health data with accurate location information, Plant Doctor enables both a micro-level analysis of individual plants and macro-level insights into disease patterns across urban areas. Worth noting, beyond urban applications, Plant Doctor could also be adapted for agricultural use, helping farmers monitor crop health and identify diseases before they spread.

Overall, the proposed technology represents a significant step toward more sustainable urban and rural plant health monitoring, allowing botanical experts to focus more on strategic interventions rather than routine monitoring.

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Research shows reduced neuroactivity during sleep is associated with brain atrophy in areas vulnerable to Alzheimer's disease

Date:

March 31, 2025

Source:

American Academy of Sleep Medicine

Summary:

New research reveals that lower proportions of specific sleep stages are associated with reduced brain volume in regions vulnerable to the development of Alzheimer's disease over time.

New research reveals that lower proportions of specific sleep stages are associated with reduced brain volume in regions vulnerable to the development of Alzheimer's disease over time.

Results show that individuals with lower proportions of time spent in slow wave sleep and rapid eye movement sleep had smaller volumes in critical brain regions, particularly the inferior parietal region, which is known to undergo early structural changes in Alzheimer's disease.

The results were adjusted for potential confounders including demographic characteristics, smoking history, alcohol use, hypertension, and coronary heart disease.

"Our findings provide preliminary evidence that reduced neuroactivity during sleep may contribute to brain atrophy, thereby potentially increasing the risk of Alzheimer's disease," said lead author Gawon Cho, who has a doctorate in public health and is a postdoctoral associate at Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut.

"These results are particularly significant because they help characterize how sleep deficiency, a prevalent disturbance among middle-aged and older adults, may relate to Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis and cognitive impairment."

The study was published March 31 as an accepted paper in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, the official publication of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

According to the Alzheimer's Association, Alzheimer's disease is a degenerative brain disease and the most common cause of dementia.

An estimated 6.7 million Americans aged 65 and older are living with Alzheimer's disease, and this number is projected to double by 2060, pending medical developments to prevent, slow or cure the disease.

The study involved an analysis of data from 270 participants who had a median age of 61 years.

Fifty-three percent were female, and all participants were white.

Individuals were excluded from the analysis if they previously had a stroke or probable dementia or other significant brain pathology.

The research utilized polysomnography to assess baseline sleep architecture.

Advanced brain imaging techniques were used to measure brain volumes 13 to 17 years later.

According to the authors, the study demonstrates an important association between sleep and long-term brain health, and it highlights potential opportunities to reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease.

"Sleep architecture may be a modifiable risk factor for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, posing the opportunity to explore interventions to reduce risk or delay Alzheimer's onset," said Cho.

The researchers emphasized that further investigation is needed to fully understand the causal relationships between sleep architecture and Alzheimer's disease progression.

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Using cover plants to remove pollutants from arable soil

Ways to improve soil health in agriculture

Date:

March 25, 2025

Source:

Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ

Summary:

Nitrate, pesticides, metals, plastic -- agricultural soils often contain pollutants. But are there sustainable and climate-friendly ways to restore and promote soil health in agricultural land? Yes, says a research team. Specific plant species could be used as cover plants for phytoremediation, i.e. to relief agricultural land from adverse pollutant impacts. In their article, the researchers summarize the results of more than 100 scientific studies and present which plants, according to current knowledge, are suitable for removing pollutants from agricultural soils or trapping them in their root systems.

Farmers often grow so-called cover plants between main crops. They are used for purposes such as for animal feeds or remain on the field as green manure. In this way, they supply the soil with nutrients before the next planting. However, cover plants also protect against erosion, stabilise the soil's water, nutrient and carbon balance, regulate soil temperature, promote humus formation, sequester carbon dioxide and increase biodiversity above and below ground. "Cover plants are actually a kind of miracle tool in agriculture," says Prof Marie Muehe, head of the Plant Biogeochemistry working group at the UFZ and senior author of the publication. However, their potential for removing soil contaminants has yet to be recognised.

Using plants to remediate contaminants in the soil is nothing new. For example, contaminated soil on industrial sites is already being remediated in this way. But agriculture could also benefit from this method, says Marie Muehe: "The use of selected cover plants for phytoremediation is a natural, climate-neutral way to improve and maintain soil health. We should also apply this in the interests of sustainable agriculture."

But which plants are suitable for phytoremediation in agriculture? And which pollutants could be managed with which plants? The UFZ team investigated these questions and analysed the current status of research. "For example, we researched whether there are already studies that indicate which of the frequently used cover plants have the ability to break down contaminants. We also looked for plants that can break down or fix the pollutants in six categories -- nitrate, salts, metals, pesticides, plastics and antibiotic resistance genes," explains first author Dr Pooja Sharma, who is also a researcher in the Plant Biogeochemistry working group at the UFZ.

Based on the results of the literature review, the research team developed concepts for phytoremediation for the respective pollutant categories. For example, rye and sunflower could be used as cover plants to prevent excess nitrate in the arable soil from being washed out and polluting the groundwater. The plants absorb the nitrate from the soil to grow and can remain on the field as green manure. However, cover plants that remove unwanted metals such as cadmium from the soil should be removed. Various types of clover, rye or rape could be used for this. "The cover plants used to remove metals are not generally suitable as animal feed. But they could play a role in the production of biogas," says Pooja Sharma. "Sunflowers are also good at removing metals from the soil. Potentially metals mainly accumulate in the leaves, so that the seeds could be harvested." The same applies to the seeds of mustard, which, as an intercrop, removes pesticides from the soil in the same way as grass or sunn hemp.

It was difficult to identify cover plants that are particularly suitable for phytoremediation targeting the contaminant categories of plastic or antibiotic resistance genes. The researchers discuss that the interactions between soil microorganisms and cover plants also play an important role in whether and how well pollutants can be fixed, degraded or removed by phytoremediation. "A lot of research still needs to be done here -- working together with farmers. This is the only way to develop effective and practicable strategies for phytoremediation, tailored to different locations, soils and pollutant problems," says Marie Muehe. "From our perspective, using cover plants to manage soil pollutants could be an efficient future concept for healthier soils and more sustainable agriculture."

A UFZ research team will be launching a field study together with farmers as part of the SmartManure project in the summer of 2025. Their aim is to more closely investigate different cover plants and their remediation performance and to test the practicability of phytoremediation in agricultural practice.

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Biological pathway in the brain could help explain why teenage girls are more depressed than boys

 

Date:

March 25, 2025

Source:

King's College London

Summary:

Research has shown that a biological brain mechanism called the 'kynurenine pathway' is imbalanced in adolescents with depression, and this imbalance is more pronounced in teenage girls than boys.

Depression is a mental health condition that affects 280 million people worldwide. It is twice as common in women than men and this pattern starts to develop during adolescence. Researchers have studied the biological processes that drive depression in adults and shown a potential role for the kynurenine pathway, but this is the first time it has been investigated in adolescents in relation to biological sex.

The study was published in Biological Psychiatry and funded by MQ Mental Health Research and supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre (BRC).

The 'kynurenine pathway' is a series of chemical reactions that processes tryptophan, an amino acid found in foods. When tryptophan is broken down, it can take two routes in the brain: one that produces neuroprotective (brain-protecting) chemicals and another that produces neurotoxic (brain-damaging) chemicals. This process involves several byproducts including kynurenic acid (neuroprotective) and quinolinic acid (neurotoxic).

Senior author Professor Valeria Mondelli, Clinical Professor of Psychoneuroimmunology at King's IoPPN and theme lead for Mood Disorders and Psychosis at NIHR Maudsley BRC said: "Adolescence is a time when many changes occur in the brain and body but we still know very little about the possible biological drivers for depression and how this might affect the difference between teenage boys and girls. Our study indicates the 'kynurenine pathway' plays a role in development of depression during the teenage years which may help us to understand why there is a higher incidence amongst girls. During adolescence there are a wide range of social and individual factors that influence mental health and by identifying the biological pathways involved we hope we can help build a clearer picture of how we can help teenagers manage depression."

Using blood tests, the study assessed the levels of kynurenic and quinolinic acids in a group of 150 teenagers from Brazil aged between 14 and 16. The teenagers belonged to one of three groups -- those with low risk of depression, those with high risk of depression and those who had been diagnosed with depression. Risk was assessed using a measure that had been developed as part of the Identifying Depression Early in Adolescence (IDEA) project and considers a range of factors1. There were 50 adolescents in each group and they were evenly divided by biological sex to explore differences between male and female adolescents. The adolescents were tracked over three years to assess if their depression symptoms persisted or improved.

King's College London researchers found that adolescents with a higher risk for depression or who have a current diagnosis of depression had lower levels of kynurenic acid, the neuroprotective compound. This reduction was most evident in female adolescents, suggesting that girls might be more vulnerable to the harmful effects of an imbalanced kynurenine pathway during adolescence, potentially explaining why females experience depression at higher rates.

The study also measured specific proteins in the blood that indicate the body is in an inflammatory state, and are released during infection, stress, or illness. It found that higher levels of these inflammatory markers were linked to increased production of neurotoxic chemicals in the kynurenine pathway. Notably, this association was found in adolescents at high-risk or with depression, but not in low-risk adolescents. This suggests that inflammation might drive the kynurenine pathway toward producing neurotoxic chemicals, increasing the risk of depression.

In the follow-up three years later, the study showed that female adolescents with persistent depression had higher levels of neurotoxic metabolites than those who recovered over time, suggesting that increased neurotoxic activity in the kynurenine pathway could make depression harder to overcome for some adolescents

First author and Senior Research Associate at King's IoPPN Dr Naghmeh Nikkheslat said "Our study indicates that the measurement of chemicals involved in the kynurenine pathway could potentially help identify those who at risk of persistent depression, particularly amongst females, as well as inform the approaches we take to providing support. This insight could help develop more targeted support for teenagers with depression through interventions that work in a range of ways on the kynurenine pathway from medication to lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise."

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Webb telescope captures its first direct images of carbon dioxide outside solar system

 

The images suggest key giant exoplanets likely formed like Jupiter and Saturn

Date:

March 17, 2025

Source:

Johns Hopkins University

Summary:

The James Webb Space Telescope has captured its first direct images of carbon dioxide in a planet outside the solar system in HR 8799, a multiplanet system 130 light-years away that has long been a key target for planet formation studies.

The James Webb Space Telescope has captured its first direct images of carbon dioxide in a planet outside the solar system in HR 8799, a multiplanet system 130 light-years away that has long been a key target for planet formation studies.

The observations provide strong evidence that the system's four giant planets formed in much the same way as Jupiter and Saturn, by slowly building solid cores. They also confirm Webb can do more than infer atmospheric composition from starlight measurements -- it can directly analyze the chemistry of exoplanet atmospheres.

"By spotting these strong carbon dioxide features, we have shown there is a sizable fraction of heavier elements, such as carbon, oxygen, and iron, in these planets' atmospheres. Given what we know about the star they orbit, that likely indicates they formed via core accretion, which for planets that we can directly see is an exciting conclusion," said William Balmer, a Johns Hopkins University astrophysicist who led the work.

An analysis of the observations, which also included a system 96 light-years away called 51 Eridani, appears in The Astrophysical Journal.

HR 8799 is a young system about 30 million years old, a fraction of our solar system's 4.6 billion years. Still hot from their violent formation, HR 8799 planets emit large amounts of infrared light that give scientists valuable data on how their formation compares to that of stars or brown dwarfs.

Giant planets can take shape in two ways: by slowly building solid cores that attract gas, like our solar system, or by rapidly collapsing from a young star's cooling disk into massive objects. Knowing which model is more common can give scientists clues to distinguish between the types of planets they find in other systems.

"Our hope with this kind of research is to understand our own solar system, life, and ourselves in comparison to other exoplanetary systems, so we can contextualize our existence," Balmer said. "We want to take pictures of other solar systems and see how they're similar or different when compared to ours. From there, we can try to get a sense of how weird our solar system really is -- or how normal."

Very few exoplanets have been directly imaged, as distant planets are many thousands of times fainter than their stars. By capturing direct images at specific wavelengths only accessible with Webb, the team is paving the way for more detailed observations to determine whether the objects they see orbiting other stars are truly giant planets or objects such as brown dwarfs, which form like stars but don't accumulate enough mass to ignite nuclear fusion.

"We have other lines of evidence that hint at these four HR 8799 planets forming using this bottom-up approach" said Laurent Pueyo, an astronomer at the Space Telescope Science Institute who co-led the work. "How common is this for long period planets we can directly image? We don't know yet, but we're proposing more Webb observations, inspired by our carbon dioxide diagnostics, to answer that question."

The achievement was made possible by Webb's coronagraphs, which block light from bright stars as happens in a solar eclipse to reveal otherwise hidden worlds. This allowed the team to look for infrared light in wavelengths that reveal specific gases and other atmospheric details.

Targeting the 3-5 micrometer wavelength range, the team found that the four HR 8799 planets contain more heavy elements than previously thought, another hint that they formed in the same way as our solar system's gas giants. The observations also revealed the first-ever detection of the innermost planet, HR 8799 e, at a wavelength of 4.6 micrometers, and 51 Eridani b at 4.1 micrometers, showcasing Webb's sensitivity in observing faint planets close to bright stars.

In 2022, one of Webb's key observation techniques indirectly detected carbon dioxide in another exoplanet, called WASP-39 b, by tracking how its atmosphere altered starlight when it passed in front of its star.

"This is what scientists have been doing for transiting planets or isolated brown dwarfs since the launch of JWST," Pueyo said.

Rémi Soummer, who directs the Optics Laboratory at the Space Telescope Science Institute and previously led Webb's coronagraph operations, added: "We knew JWST could measure colors of the outer planets in directly imaged systems. We have been waiting for 10 years to confirm that our finely tuned operations of the telescope would also allow us to access the inner planets. Now the results are in, and we can do interesting science with it."

The team hopes to use Webb's coronagraphs to analyze more giant planets and compare their composition to theoretical models.

"These giant planets have pretty big implications," Balmer said. "If you have these huge planets acting like bowling balls running through your solar system, they can either really disrupt, protect, or do a little bit of both to planets like ours, so understanding more about their formation is a crucial step to understanding the formation, survival, and habitability of Earth-like planets in the future."

Other authors include Jens Kammerer of the European Southern Observatory; Marshall D. Perrin, Julien H. Girard, Roeland P. van der Marel, Jeff A. Valenti, Joshua D. Lothringer, Kielan K. W. Hoch, and Rèemi Soummer of the Space Telescope Science Institute; Jarron M. Leisenring of University of Arizona; Kellen Lawson of NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center; Henry Dennen of Amherst College; Charles A. Beichman of NASA Exoplanet Science Institute; Geoffrey Bryden, Jorge Llop-Sayson of Jet Propulsion Laboratory; Nikole K. Lewis of Cornell University; Mathilde Mâlin of Johns Hopkins; Isabel Rebollido, Emily Rickman of the European Space Agency; Mark Clampin of NASA Headquarters; and C. Matt Mountain of the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy.

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