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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on February 16, 2024 at 7:14am

Space surgery: Doctors on ground operate robot on ISS for first time

Earth-bound surgeons remotely controlled a small robot aboard the International Space Station over the weekend, conducting the first-ever such surgery in orbit—albeit on rubber bands.

The experiment, deemed a "huge success" by the participants, represents a new step in the development of space surgery, which could become necessary to treat medical emergencies during multi-year manned voyages, such as to Mars.

The technology could also be used to develop remote-control surgery techniques on Earth, to serve isolated areas.

The robot, developed by Virtual Incision (VIC) and the University of Nebraska, is called spaceMIRA.

It took off for the International Space Station at the end of January, aboard a payload carried by a SpaceX rocket.

Stored inside a compact box the size of a microwave oven, the robot was installed last Thursday by NASA astronaut Loral O'Hara, who has been in space since last September.

The experiment then took place on Saturday, conducted from Virtual Incision's headquarters in Lincoln, Nebraska.

It lasted around two hours, with six surgeons taking a go at operating the robot, which is equipped with a camera and two arms.

The experiment tested standard surgical techniques like grasping, manipulating and cutting tissue. The simulated tissue is made up of rubber bands," Virtual Incision said in a statement.

In a video shared by the company, one arm equipped with pincers can be seen gripping the band and stretching it, while the other arm equipped with scissors makes a cut—mimicking a dissection.

A key difficulty is the time lag—about 0.85 seconds—between the operation center on Earth and the ISS.

For a control experiment, the same process will take place with the same equipment, but on Earth.

"The experiment was deemed a huge success by all surgeons and researchers, and there were little to no hiccups," Virtual Incision said in a statement, claiming it will "change the future of surgery."

Source: AFP and other news agencies

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on February 15, 2024 at 11:38am

AI-powered ‘eye’ for visually impaired people to ‘see’ objects

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on February 15, 2024 at 10:51am

In the study, "Pressure induced transformation of biomass to a highly durable, low friction film on steel" published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, researchers from the Universities of Sheffield and York have focused on the friction and chemical aspects of leaves on the line, which provides a new, detailed understanding of the processes that happen when leaves are present between train wheels and the rails.

The analysis reveals that certain chemicals, like polyphenols, including tannins (the chemicals present in wine and tea), play a crucial role in forming a strong, thin film on these surfaces. Under high pressures and heat, this film contains compounds that stick to the metal surface of the railhead.

This new understanding of the leaf-derived layer's composition is expected to guide the development of innovative solutions to the issue.

Since phenolics play a crucial role, remediation efforts targeting these molecules, such as enzymatic digestion or using next generation cleaning agents that effectively dissolve aromatic species, should be explored, according to the study's findings. The potential for cleaning agents to be used as tools for restoring friction to safe levels could ultimately enhance the operational performance and safety of rail transport for both passengers and operators.

 Joseph L. Lanigan et al, Pressure induced transformation of biomass to a highly durable, low friction film on steel, Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences (2024). DOI: 10.1098/rspa.2023.0450

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on February 15, 2024 at 10:47am

 Chemicals responsible for 'black ice' on railway lines

A new insight into how leaves transform into slippery layers on railway lines, causing delays for passengers and costing the rail industry millions  every year, has been revealed by engineers.

The research has revealed the chemical mechanisms that take place when leaves on the line are crushed between the wheels of a train and the railhead, forming slippery layers that make it difficult for trains to start and stop.

Findings from the study could be used to develop more effective solutions to the long-running problem that affects rail travel every autumn and winter.
Leaves on train tracks have long caused chaos for both commuters and rail companies, often leading to significant, costly delays. The problem arises when leaves are crushed against the tracks, forming a layer that dramatically reduces the friction between the train wheels and the rails, a situation described by Network Rail as the "black ice of the railway."
Part 1

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on February 15, 2024 at 10:16am

In laboratory experiments, the researchers exposed groups of juvenile earthworms (Eisenia fetida) to individual pesticides, and combinations of neonics and DIF, in concentrations that mimicked residues left behind by pesticide-treated seeds. After 30 days, the worms were weighed and their mtDNA damage was examined. While all the worms survived, the earthworms in single pesticide-treated soil gained 30 to 80% less weight during that period than a control group living in untreated soil.

Additionally, the worms exposed to one of the four tested neonicotinoids and DIF at the same time gained considerably less weight than those exposed to a single compound. Pesticide exposure also resulted in a significant increase in mtDNA damage. Because mitochondria generate most of the energy within cells, damage to their DNA could interrupt cellular functions and other metabolic processes.

The researchers say that these findings establish a link between neonics and fungicide mixtures that are likely present in the environment and earthworm health, which could inform the unexpected risks of using neonics in seed treatments.

Mitochondrial DNA Damage in Earthworms: A Hazard Associated with Sublethal Systemic Pesticide Exposures, Environmental Science & Technology Letters (2024). DOI: 10.1021/acs.estlett.3c00914. pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.estlett.3c00914

Part 2

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on February 15, 2024 at 10:16am

Pesticides to help protect seeds can adversely affect earthworms' health

While pesticides protect crops from hungry animals, pesky insects, or even microbial infections, they also impact other vital organisms, including bees and earthworms. Now, research published in Environmental Science & Technology Letters reveals that worms are affected by the relatively small amounts of chemicals that can leach out of pesticide-treated seeds. Exposure to nonlethal amounts of these insecticides and fungicides resulted in poor weight gain and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) damage in the worms.

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Pesticide treatment can be introduced at several different stages of a plant's life, either by covering seeds before they're sown or spraying already grown crops. Oftentimes, different chemicals are applied at the same time to maximize their efficiency. Neonicotinoids, also known as neonics, are one common class of insecticides used today in the U.S. and other countries, though many of them are banned in the European Union.

Recent research has shown that these insecticides and many fungicides persist in groundwater and soil, where earthworms may encounter them. One method to monitor the health of the impacted worms is through changes to the organisms' weight and mtDNA damage. Unlike DNA held in a cell's nucleus, mtDNA can't repair itself as well, and thus can help indicate less obvious, "off target" effects of a particular environmental toxin.

Part 1

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on February 15, 2024 at 10:06am

This third magnetic sibling offers distinct advantages for the developing field of next-generation magnetic memory technology, known as spintronics. Whereas electronics makes use only of the charge of the electrons, spintronics also exploits the spin-state of electrons to carry information.

Juraj Krempaský, Altermagnetic lifting of Kramers spin degeneracy, Nature (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06907-7. www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06907-7

Part2

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on February 15, 2024 at 10:05am

Altermagnetism: A new type of magnetism, with broad implications for technology and research

There is now a new addition to the magnetic family: thanks to experiments at the Swiss Light Source SLS, researchers have proved the existence of altermagnetism. The experimental discovery of this new branch of magnetism is reported in Nature and signifies new fundamental physics, with major implications for spintronics.

Magnetism is a lot more than just things that stick to the fridge. This understanding came with the discovery of antiferromagnets nearly a century ago. Since then, the family of magnetic materials has been divided into two fundamental phases: the ferromagnetic branch known for several millennia and the antiferromagnetic branch.
The experimental proof of a third branch of magnetism, termed altermagnetism, was made at the Swiss Light Source SLS, by an international collaboration led by the Czech Academy of Sciences together with Paul Scherrer Institute PSI.

The fundamental magnetic phases are defined by the specific spontaneous arrangements of magnetic moments—or electron spins—and of atoms that carry the moments in crystals.

Ferromagnets are the type of magnets that stick to the fridge: here spins point in the same direction, giving macroscopic magnetism. In antiferromagnetic materials, spins point in alternating directions, with the result that the materials possess no macroscopic net magnetization—and thus don't stick to the fridge. Although other types of magnetism, such as diamagnetism and paramagnetism have been categorized, these describe specific responses to externally applied magnetic fields rather than spontaneous magnetic orderings in materials.

Altermagnets have a special combination of the arrangement of spins and crystal symmetries. The spins alternate, as in antiferromagnets, resulting in no net magnetization. Yet, rather than simply canceling out, the symmetries give an electronic band structure with strong spin polarization that flips in direction as you pass through the material's energy bands—hence the name altermagnets. This results in highly useful properties more resemblant to ferromagnets, as well as some completely new properties.

Part 1

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on February 14, 2024 at 10:05am

A car powered by ammonia?

Ammonia is combustible, and holds promise as a relatively low-effort way to decarbonize the internal combustion engine – but the devil’s in the details.

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on February 14, 2024 at 7:17am

Vibrio natriegens: Low-cost microbe could speed biological discovery

 Researchers have created a new version of a microbe to compete economically with E. coli—a bacteria commonly used as a research tool due to its ability to synthesize proteins—to conduct low-cost and scalable synthetic biological experiments.

As an inexpensive multiplier—much like having a photocopier in a test tube—the bacteria Vibrio natriegens could help labs test protein variants for creation of pharmaceuticals, synthetic fuels and sustainable compounds that battle weeds or pests. The microbe can work effectively without costly incubators, shakers or deep freezers and can be engineered within hours.

 Efficient Natural Plasmid Transformation of Vibrio natriegens Enables Zero-capital Molecular Biology, PNAS Nexus (2024). DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgad444

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