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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 6, 2024 at 9:57am

For observations conducted during 2004–2005 with Subaru Telescope's prime focus camera (Suprime-Cam), due to the orbital relationship between Pluto and the spacecraft, an area near the center of the Milky Way galaxy got caught in the background of the search area for Kuiper Belt objects.

Although it was extremely difficult to search for solar system objects with many background stars, the research team was able to find 24 Kuiper Belt objects.

Unfortunately, the Kuiper belt objects so far found during this observation require too much fuel for the spacecraft to flyby, but new ones at great distance may fall within the available fuel reach of New Horizons. In 2020, deeper observations began with Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC) on the Subaru Telescope, and by 2023, there had been 239 Kuiper Belt objects discovered.

"The most exciting part of the HSC observations was the discovery of 11 objects at distances beyond the known Kuiper Belt.
Many of the objects discovered with HSC are located at distances of 30–55 astronomical units (au) from the sun (1 au corresponds to the distance between the sun and Earth) and are thought to be within the known Kuiper Belt.

Marc W. Buie et al, The New Horizons Extended Mission Target: Arrokoth Search and Discovery, arXiv (2024). DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2403.04927

Wesley C. Fraser et al, Candidate Distant Trans-Neptunian Objects Detected by the New Horizons Subaru TNO Survey, arXiv (2024). DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2407.21142

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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 6, 2024 at 9:56am

Outer solar system is more populated than previously thought
Survey observations using the Subaru Telescope's ultra-widefield prime focus camera have revealed that there may be a population of small bodies further out in the Kuiper Belt waiting to be discovered.
The results, which are important for an understanding of the formation of the solar system, were obtained through an international collaboration between the Subaru Telescope and the New Horizons spacecraft traveling through the outer solar system.
NASA's New Horizons spacecraft was launched in 2006 with the critical mission of observing the surfaces of outer solar system bodies up close for the first time in human history; it successfully completed a flyby of the Pluto system in 2015, and in 2019 it made a flyby of one of the Kuiper Belt objects, (486958) Arrokoth.

There have been five spacecraft that have flown to the outer solar system (including New Horizons), but New Horizons is the only spacecraft that has flown through the Kuiper Belt while observing Kuiper Belt objects.

When observing Kuiper Belt objects from the ground, we can only observe them at small solar phase angles (the angle between the sun, the object, and the observer). On the other hand, when observing a Kuiper Belt object from a spacecraft in the Kuiper Belt, the same object can be observed at various phase angles and its reflection characteristics can be used to estimate the surface properties of the object. This is something only New Horizons can do.

However, the camera on the spacecraft has a narrow field-of-view and cannot discover Kuiper Belt objects on its own. This is where the Subaru Telescope comes in. The Subaru Telescope uses its wide-field camera to find many Kuiper Belt objects and then narrow down the list of objects that the spacecraft can fly by and observe. This collaboration between New Horizons and the Subaru Telescope began in 2004.
Part 1

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 6, 2024 at 9:50am

Birds can sit on one wire, no problem. But if a bird touches a second wire, it opens a path of electricity right through the bird's body, with a resulting zap that can be potent enough to send the bird up in flames.

Larger birds like hawks and eagles can be more at risk of electrocution because their wider wingspans put them at greater risk of touching two different wires simultaneously.
Sometimes smaller birds on the hunt for bugs will drive their beaks under insulated coverings in hopes of a snack, only to find an electrical jolt instead.
Source: MediaNews Group, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Part 2
There are ways to design power poles and their accompanying structures to make them less susceptible to bird electrocution.
For new electrical poles designers can ensure enough space between "energized components" to allow birds to exist without touching two electrical components at once.

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 6, 2024 at 9:47am

The flaming carcasses of electrocuted birds keep starting wildfires

In the past two months alone, the flaming carcasses of electrocuted birds have ignited at least three wildfires in Colorado.

While the phenomenon sounds straight out of a cartoon, it's actually more common than you'd think, experts said. It's a big enough problem that electric utility companies brainstorm efforts to mitigate bird electrocution.

Researchers found no coordinated records or data illustrating how frequently electrocuted birds dropping off power lines spark wildfires, so they sifted through Google searches of avian-induced fires in the United States from 2014 to 2018 and found 44 reported cases.

California had the highest number of incidents at 15. Colorado had two in 2016—one in Littleton and one in Berthoud, the study found.

However, in July and August of this year, Colorado's Front Range has been the scene of at least three reported bird combustions resulting in wildfires.

Cities'   infrastructure can be attractive to birds for roosting and building nests and can post a collision or electrocution hazard to birds.

There are a couple of reasons why birds are increasingly meeting an end better suited for the "Final Destination" films.

It's partially because of climate change. An electrocuted bird is more likely to ignite a fire if conditions are dry and the regions face drought like conditions. 

In addition to climate, there is the human introduction of electrical utility equipment into the environment. 

Part 1

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 6, 2024 at 9:40am

To master the new technique, the researchers developed a way to predict how light interacts with dyed biological tissues.

Those predictions required a deep understanding of light scattering, as well as the process of refraction, where light changes speed and bends as it travels from one material into another.

Scattering is the reason we cannot see through our body: Fats, fluids within cells, proteins, and other materials each have a different refractive index, a property that dictates how significantly an incoming light wave will bend.

In most tissues, those materials are closely compacted together, so the varied refractive indices cause light to scatter as it passes through. It is the scattering effect that our eyes interpret as opaque, colored, biological materials.

The researchers realized if they wanted to make biological material transparent, they had to find a way to match the different refractive indices so light could travel through unimpeded.

Building upon fundamental insights from the field of optics, the researchers realized dyes that are the most effective at absorbing light can also be highly effective at directing light uniformly through a wide range of refractive indices.

One dye the researchers predicted would be particularly effective was tartrazine, the food dye more commonly known as FD & C Yellow 5. It turns out, they were correct: when dissolved into water and absorbed into tissues, tartrazine molecules are perfectly structured to match refractive indices and prevent light from scattering, resulting in transparency.

The researchers first tested their predictions with thin slices of chicken breast. As tartrazine concentrations increased, the refractive index of the fluid within the muscle cells rose until it matched the refractive index of the muscle proteins—the slice became transparent.

Then, the researchers gently rubbed a temporary tartrazine solution on mice. First, they applied the solution to the scalp, rendering the skin transparent to reveal blood vessels crisscrossing the brain. Next, they applied the solution to the abdomen, which faded within minutes to show contractions of the intestine and movements caused by heartbeats and breathing.

The technique resolved features at the scale of microns, and even enhanced microscope observations. When the dye was rinsed off, the tissues quickly returned to normal opacity. The tartrazine did not appear to have long-term effects, and any excess was excreted in waste within 48 hours.

The researchers suspect that injecting the dye should lead to even deeper views within organisms, with implications for both biology and medicine.

 Zihao Ou et al, Achieving optical transparency in live animals with absorbing molecules, Science (2024). DOI: 10.1126/science.adm6869. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adm6869

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 6, 2024 at 9:37am

A new technique makes skin invisible

Researchers have developed a new way to see organs within a body by rendering overlying tissues transparent to visible light. The counterintuitive process—a topical application of food-safe dye—was reversible in tests with animal subjects, and may ultimately apply to a wide range of medical diagnostics, from locating injuries to monitoring digestive disorders to identifying cancers.

The  researchers published the research, titled "Achieving optical transparency in live animals with absorbing molecules," in the Sept. 6, 2024, issue of Science.

Animation depicting the tissue transparency effect and how it might appear if tested with humans in the future. The latter part of the animation shows how photons interact with tissues at the cellular level, both with and without FD & C Yellow 5 saturation. Credit: Keyi "Onyx" Li/U.S. National Science Foundation

Part 1

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 6, 2024 at 8:41am

The ongoing trials are investigating whether targeting the immune system can prevent cancer progression, while the researchers continue to explore additional therapeutic targets.

 Matthew D. Park et al, Hematopoietic aging promotes cancer by fueling IL-1⍺-driven emergency myelopoiesis, Science (2024). DOI: 10.1126/science.adn0327. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adn0327

Part 2

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 6, 2024 at 8:41am

How aging immune system fuels cancer growth

Why is aging the biggest risk factor for cancer? A new study reveals how an aging immune system spurs tumor growth, offering new insights into cancer prevention and treatment, especially for older adults.

Details on the findings are reported in the September 5 Online First Release of Science.

Cancer is a disease that becomes increasingly common as we age, with the risk rising sharply after the age of 60. Many theories have been proposed, including the cumulative effects of environmentally-induced damage and genetic mutations, but there has been little concrete data explaining why aging drives cancer.

In preclinical models,  a research team found that anakinra, a drug typically used for inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, can be repurposed to block harmful signals between early lung cancer lesions and the bone marrow. This is critical, say the investigators, because as the immune system ages, it creates harmful inflammation that can drive cancer development.

As the immune system ages, it triggers harmful inflammation that can drive cancer growth––by promoting the accumulation of pro-tumor macrophages, a type of immune cell that suppresses the immune effector cells that normally kill tumor cells. This weakens the body's ability to fight cancer.

The researchers found that by blocking specific inflammatory pathways, especially those involving molecules called interleukin-1⍺ (IL-1⍺) and IL-1β, this damaging process could be reversed in mouse models, offering a potential new approach to preventing cancer development in humans.

 

As part of the study, the research team used mouse models to investigate how aging affects cancer progression. They injected tumor cells into mice and observed that lung, pancreatic, and colonic cancer grew more rapidly in older mice compared to younger ones. Using bone marrow transplants from either young or old mice, the investigators simulated the effects of the immune system's aging. The team found that an aged immune system accelerates cancer growth, even in young mice. More strikingly, they found that rejuvenating the immune system significantly reduced cancer growth in older mice.

Using high-dimensional analysis of murine and human cancer tissues, the team identified specific cells and immune-related factors that accelerate cancer growth in the elderly. They then successfully blocked these factors, specifically IL-1⍺/β, demonstrating that inhibiting these molecules can reduce cancer growth in aged mice.

This study shows that an aged immune system promotes cancer progression, independent of the age of the cancer cells or the surrounding tissue. We've long suspected that inflammation can suppress anti-tumor immunity, particularly in older individuals and cancer patients. However, this is the first robust evidence proving that chronic inflammation from an aging immune system predisposes to cancer. 

This study reveals that targeting the aging immune system could significantly reduce cancer risk in older adults. It suggests that enhancing the immune response through immunotherapy might be more effective than directly targeting tumors. 

Part1

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 6, 2024 at 8:32am

The trial tested different dosage levels of the gene therapy, ATSN-101, which was adapted from the AAV5 microorganism and was surgically injected under the retina.

For the first part of the study, cohorts of three adults each received one of the three different dosages: Low, mid, and high. Evaluations were held between each level of dosage to ensure that they were safe before upping the dosage for the next cohort.

A second phase of the study involved only administering the high dosage levels to both an adult cohort of three and a pediatric cohort of three, again after safety reviews of the previous cohorts.

Improvements were noticed quickly, often within the first month, after the therapy was applied and lasted for at least 12 months. Observations of participating patients are also ongoing. Three of six high-dosage patients who were tested to navigate a mobility course in varying levels of light achieved the maximum-possible score. Other tests used eye charts or measured the dimmest flashes of light patients perceived in a dark environment.

Of the nine patients who received the maximum dosage, two had a 10,000-fold improvement in vision.
Primarily, the study sought to determine the safety of the gene therapy and its varying dosage levels. Researchers did find some patients had side effects, but the overwhelming majority were related to the surgical procedure itself.
The most common side effect was conjunctival hemorrhage, the breakage of small blood vessels underneath the clear surface of the eye, which healed. Two patients had eye inflammation that was reversed with a course of steroids. No serious side effects were related to the study drug.
Approval of this experimental medicine for clinical use requires another trial, where participants are randomized to a treatment dose and both patients and those investigating the trial not knowing who gets what. Through that, any possible bias in results could be avoided.

Safety and efficacy of ATSN-101 in patients with Leber congenital amaurosis caused by biallelic mutations in GUCY2D: a phase 1/2, multicentre, open-label, unilateral dose escalation study, The Lancet (2024). www.thelancet.com/journals/lan … (24)01447-8/fulltext

Part 2

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 6, 2024 at 8:30am

100-fold improvement in sight seen after gene therapy trial

The vision of people with a rare inherited condition that causes them to lose much of their sight early in childhood was 100 times better after they received gene therapy to address the genetic mutation causing it. Some patients even experienced a 10,000-fold improvement in their vision after receiving the highest dose of the therapy, according to researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania who co-led the clinical trial published in The Lancet.

That 10,000-fold improvement is the same as a patient being able to see their surroundings on a moonlit night outdoors as opposed to requiring bright indoor lighting before treatment.

One patient reported for the first time being able to navigate at midnight outdoors only with the light of a bonfire.

A total of 15 people participated in the Phase I/II trial, including three pediatric patients. Each patient had Leber congenital amaurosis as the result of mutations in the GUCY2D gene, which is essential to producing proteins critical for vision. This specific condition, which affects less than 100,000 people worldwide and is abbreviated as LCA1, causes a significant amount of vision loss as early as infancy.

All subjects had severe vision loss with their best measure of vision being equal or worse than 20/80—meaning if a typically-sighted person could see an object clearly at 80 feet, these patients would have to move up to at least 20 feet to see it.

Glasses provide limited benefit to these patients because they correct abnormalities in the optical focusing ability of the eye, and are unable to address medical causes of vision loss, such as genetic retinal diseases like LCA1.

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