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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on October 7, 2024 at 9:23am

GPS jamming? No problem, low Earth orbit satellites hold the key to resilient, interference-free navigation

People use GPS jammers for a variety of reasons, including:

• Military: The government originally created GPS jammers for military use to conceal vehicle locations and gain an advantage in high-risk situations.
• Speeding: Drivers may use GPS jammers to avoid detection by police and fines.
• Vehicle theft: Criminals may use GPS jammers to cover up vehicle theft.
• Avoid toll charges: Criminals may use GPS jammers to avoid toll charges or mileage charges.
• Fleet management: Drivers may use GPS jammers to prevent their employer from knowing where they are going with the company vehicle. 

GPS jammers are hardware devices that disrupt GPS signals to prevent accurate location tracking and navigation. They can also be used to inhibit mobile devices from making or receiving calls, text messages, or emails. 

GPS jammers are illegal in many countries and can result in harsh penalties, including fines, imprisonment, and loss of equipment. 

Increasingly occurring GPS jamming in some places disrupts daily civilian activities, posing major navigational challenges. A new patented method using low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites and massive multiple input multiple output (MIMO) antennas addresses these location vulnerability issues, presenting means for precise navigation even where traditional global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) fail.

Part 1

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on October 5, 2024 at 8:40am

Researchers create artificial plants that purify indoor air, generate electricity

Most people spend their time indoors and the air we breathe at work, school or home affects our overall health and well-being.

Many sources can generate very toxic materials, like building materials and carpets. We breathe out and breathe in, and that builds up carbon dioxide levels. Also, there are risks from cooking and infiltration from the outdoors.

Most air purification systems, however, are expensive, cumbersome and require frequent cleaning or filter replacement to function at optimum levels.

So researchers are repurposing their research about bacteria-powered biobatteries—ingestible and otherwise—into a new idea for artificial plants that can feed off carbon dioxide, give off oxygen and even generate a little power.

They outline their results in a paper recently published in the journal Advanced Sustainable Systems.

Using five biological solar cells and their photosynthetic bacteria, researchers created an artificial leaf "for fun," then realized the concept has wider implications. They built the first plant with five leaves, then tested its carbon dioxide capture rates and oxygen generation capability.

Although power generation of around 140 microwatts is a secondary benefit, they hope to improve the technology to achieve a minimum output of more than 1 milliwatt. They also want to integrate an energy storage system, such as lithium-ion batteries or supercapacitors.

Other upgrades could include using multiple bacteria species to ensure long-term viability and developing ways to minimize maintenance, such as water and nutrient delivery systems.

With some fine-tuning, these air purifying artificial plants could be a part of every household.

 Maryam Rezaie et al, Cyanobacterial Artificial Plants for Enhanced Indoor Carbon Capture and Utilization, Advanced Sustainable Systems (2024). DOI: 10.1002/adsu.202400401

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on October 4, 2024 at 11:55am

Science finds link between excessive sweating, sensitive skin

If you sweat excessively, you're likely to have sensitive skin as well, with new research confirming the two go hand-in-hand.

It uncovered a significant link excessive sweating -- a condition known as primary hyperhidrosis -- and sensitive skin.
People with primary hyperhidrosis sweat four times more than needed to cool the body -- even when they're not exposed to high temperatures or exercising. The condition affects specific areas such as the hands, feet, face and armpits.

People with sensitive skin often experience itching, burning and tightness when exposed to heat, sweat, skincare products and stress.

Researchers found that folks with hyperhydrosis are more likely than most people to have sensitive skin. Sensitivity often goes beyond areas that sweat excessively, showing that perspiration isn't the cause of their skin sensitivity.

Someone with primary hyperhidrosis is more likely to have sensitive skin than the general public, even in areas where there is no excessive sweating.

The study also showed that:

• The more severe the hyperhidrosis, the greater the skin sensitivity
• Excessive sweating was most often found in the hands
• Respondents with both issues reported frequent sensitivity to products marketed for sensitive skin

Erika T. McCormick MD et al. Primary Hyperhidrosis and Sensitive Skin: Exploring the Link with Predictive Machine Learning-Based Classification Models. Journal of the Drugs and Dermatology. (2024) DOI: 10.36849/JDD.8461

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on October 4, 2024 at 10:58am

Some plants have a backup plan to pass down accurate chromosome copies

Plants rely on fine-tuned genetic processes to pass down accurate copies of chromosomes to future generations. These processes sometimes involve billions of moving parts. Even the tiniest disruption can have a cascading effect. So, for plants like Arabidopsis thaliana, it's good to have a backup plan.

Chromosomes have to be accurately partitioned every time a cell divides. 

For that to happen, each chromosome has a centromere. In plants, centromeres control chromosome partitioning with the help of a molecule called DDM1.

When humans lose their version of DDM1, centromeres can't divide evenly. This causes a severe genetic condition called ICF syndrome. But if the molecule is so important, why isn't Arabidopsis affected when DDM1 is lost?

Scientists found that in yeast, centromere function is controlled by small RNAs. That process is called RNAi. Plants actually have both DDM1 and RNAi.

When they isolated these two in Arabidopsis to see what happens , the plants looked really horrible.

When the team looked closer, they found that a single transposon inside chromosome 5 was responsible for the defects. Transposons move around the genome, switching genes on and off. In Arabidopsis, they trigger DDM1 or RNAi to help centromeres divide. But when DDM1 and RNAi are missing, the process is disrupted.

They found very few copies of this transposon anywhere else in the genome.

But the centromere of chromosome 5 was infested with these things.

The scientists developed molecules called short hairpin RNAs that target the transposons.

Those small RNAs make up for the loss of DDM1. They recognized every copy of the transposon in the centromere and, amazingly, restored centromere function. So now the plants were fertile again. They make seeds. They look much better.

Of course, it's not all about plants. In humans, uneven centromere division has been linked to conditions like ICF and early cancer progression. 

Atsushi Shimada et al, Retrotransposon addiction promotes centromere function via epigenetically activated small RNAs, Nature Plants (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41477-024-01773-1

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on October 4, 2024 at 10:36am

Scientists find plant-like behaviour in human cells

A team of scientists has solved the structure of a protein known as "LYCHOS," which can detect and regulate cell growth by sensing cholesterol levels in the body.

Human cells need cholesterol for healthy growth, but the way cells and cholesterol interact is a delicate balance. When cell growth becomes abnormal, it can quickly become a driving force behind many types of cancer, neurological disorders and other diseases.

In their article published in Nature, the research team used cryo‐electron microscopy (cryo‐EM) to, for the first time, determine the 3D structure of LYCHOS and show that it is a unique hybrid of a cell transporter commonly found in plants (and not humans), and a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR).

The GPCR and plant-like transporter work together to sense cholesterol and regulate cell growth, thus making LYCHOS an exciting new drug target for diseases perpetuated by abnormal cell growth that can lead to the formation of cancerous tumors and neurological dysfunction.

Their cryo-EM studies have revealed that human LYCHOS is a hybrid of a GPCR and a 'PIN-FORMED' (PIN) transporter, typically associated with the plant kingdom  and not previously thought to exist in humans.

Much like the process whereby plants move their stems and leaves toward light to receive the maximum energy for photosynthesis, the LYCHOS plant-like transporter helps human cells sense when there's enough cholesterol to start growing.

Charles Bayly-Jones et al, LYCHOS is a human hybrid of a plant-like PIN transporter and a GPCR, Nature (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-08012-9

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on October 4, 2024 at 9:48am

The researchers wanted to know if the same was true for humans. To find out, they first conducted animal experiments to find the right ingredients that would stimulate the gut biome and then made a supplement with the best of them. They then gave the supplement they had developed to 64 children suffering from severe malnutrition in several hospitals in Bangladesh.

Another 64 children also suffering from severe malnutrition were given RUFs. All the children in the study were assessed over the following three months. The research team found that those children receiving the biome-enhancing supplements gained weight faster than the children given RUFs.

They also found that those children receiving the new supplements had higher concentrations of the types of proteins in their blood that are needed for the proper growth of bones, muscles, and nerve cells in the brain.
The researchers conclude by suggesting that giving malnourished children biome-enhancing food can not only speed up recovery time but also prevent stunted growth.

Steven J. Hartman et al, A microbiome-directed therapeutic food for children recovering from severe acute malnutrition, Science Translational Medicine (2024). DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.adn2366

Part 2

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on October 4, 2024 at 9:47am

Microbiome-directed food speeds recovery in children with severe acute malnutrition, trial finds

A team of biologists, nutritionists and gut biome specialists has found via a trial run at several hospitals  that giving children suffering from severe malnutrition a microbiome-based food helps them recover faster than giving them ready-to-use therapeutic or supplementary foods (RUFs).

For many years, the standard of care for children suffering from severe acute malnutrition has been feeding them RUFs, which are generally made by mixing peanuts, oil, butter, and sugar into a quantity of powdered milk. Such a mix provides a lot of calories in a hurry, helping children who are starving recover as quickly as possible.

In this new study, published in Science Translational Medicine, the researchers have found that a different kind of food might be a better option.

Several years ago, researchers discovered that when children experience a severe lack of food, in addition to losing weight and an ability to ward off diseases, their intestinal biome becomes less diverse—without food to process, gut bacteria levels dwindle. Experiments with mice showed that those who were malnourished who were given food designed to ramp up the biome gained weight faster than those who were placed on just a high-calorie diet.

Part 1

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on October 4, 2024 at 9:41am

Using the data, the scientists created a timeline of what happened in the seconds and minutes after impact.
After the impact and the central uplift forming, the soft sediments surrounding the crater flowed inwards towards the evacuated crater floor, creating a visible 'brim.'
The earthquake shaking caused by the impact appears to have liquefied the sediments below the seabed across the entire plateau, causing faults to form below the seabed.
The impact was also associated with large landslides as the plateau margin collapsed below the ocean.

As well as this, there is evidence for a train of tsunami waves going away from, then back towards the crater, with large resurge scars preserving evidence of this catastrophic event.
Humans have never witnessed an asteroid of this size crashing into Earth.

 Uisdean Nicholson et al, 3D anatomy of the Cretaceous–Paleogene age Nadir Crater, Communications Earth & Environment (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s43247-024-01700-4

Part 2

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on October 4, 2024 at 9:38am

Five-mile asteroid impact crater below Atlantic captured in 'exquisite' detail by seismic data

New images of an asteroid impact crater buried deep below the floor of the Atlantic Ocean have been published recently by researchers.

 The images confirm the 9km Nadir Crater, located 300m under the floor of the Atlantic Ocean, was caused by an asteroid smashing into Earth at the end of the Cretaceous period around 66 million years ago. That's the same age as the dinosaur-killing 200 km wide, Chicxulub impact crater in Mexico.

The images have helped the researchers determine what happened in the minutes following impact: The formation of an initial bowl-shaped crater, rocks turned to a fluid-like state and flowing upwards to the crater floor, the creation of a damage zone covering thousands of square kilometers beyond the crater, and an 800-meter-plus high tsunami that would have traveled across the Atlantic ocean.

The data revealed a depression more than 8.5km wide, which could be an asteroid impact crater. The data suggested it was from an asteroid hundreds of meters wide hitting the planet around 66 million years ago.

High-resolution, 3D seismic data was captured by TGS, a global geophysical company and shared with geologists. The data proves that an asteroid caused the Nadir Crater.

Craters on the surface are usually heavily eroded and we can only see what is exposed, whereas craters on other planetary bodies usually only show the surface expression.

These data allow us to image this fully in three dimensions and peel back the layers of sedimentary rock to look at the crater at all levels.

The new images paint a picture of the catastrophic event.

 The asteroid  was 450–500m wide, because of the larger crater size as shown by the 3D data.

Researchers can also tell it came from about 20–40 degrees to the northeast, because of spiraling thrust-generated ridges surrounding the crater's central peak—those are only formed following a low-angle oblique impact.

It would have hit Earth at about 20 km per second, or 72,000 km per hour.

Part 1

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on October 2, 2024 at 6:10am

Pathogens are thriving in the plastisphere

Plastic pollution is creating a ‘plastisphere’: a widespread habitat that includes pathogenic viruses and antimicrobial-resistant bacteria, a group of environmental researchers highlights. The problem has no easy fix, but the ecosystems of the plastisphere must be thoroughly studied, with..., if we’re to mitigate the risks posed by the pathogens lurking within.

Nature | 

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