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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on December 1, 2020 at 8:51am

Fingerprints' moisture-regulating mechanism strengthens human touch: study

Human fingerprints have a self-regulating moisture mechanism that not only helps us to avoid dropping things, but could help scientists to develop better prosthetic limbs, robotic equipment and virtual reality environments, a new study reveals.

Primates—including humans, monkeys and apes—have evolved epidermal ridges on their hands and feet with a higher density of sweat glands than elsewhere on their bodies. This allows precise regulation of skin moisture to give greater levels of grip when manipulating objects.

Fingerprints help to increase friction when in contact with smooth surfaces, boost grip on rough surfaces and enhance tactile sensitivity. Their moisture-regulating mechanism ensures the best possible hydration of the skin's keratin layer to maximize friction.

Primates have evolved epidermal ridges on their hands and feet. During contact with solid objects, fingerprint ridges are important for grip and precision manipulation. They regulate moisture levels from external sources or the sweat pores so that friction is maximized and we avoid 'catastrophic' slip and keep hold of objects. Understanding the influence of finger pad friction will help us to develop more realistic tactile sensors—for example, applications in robotics and prosthetics and haptic feedback systems for touch screens and virtual reality environments.

Ultrasonic lubrication is commonly used in touch screen displays that provide sensory 'haptic' feedback, but its effectiveness is reduced when a user has dry compared with moist finger pads. Moreover, being able to distinguish between fine-textured surfaces, such as textiles, by touch relies on the induced lateral vibrations but the absence of sliding friction inhibits our ability to identify what we are actually touching.

Fingerprints are unique to primates and koalas—appearing to have the dual function of enhancing evaporation of excess moisture whist providing a reservoir of moisture at their bases that enables grip to be maximized.

The researchers have discovered that, when finger pads are in contact with impermeable surfaces, the sweat from pores in the ridges makes the skin softer and thus dramatically increases friction. However, the resulting increase in the compliance of the ridges causes the sweat pores eventually to become blocked and hence prevents excessive moisture that would reduce our ability to grip objects.

Using hi-tech laser-based imaging technology, the scientists found that moisture regulation could be explained by the combination of this sweat pore blocking and the accelerated evaporation of excessive moisture from external wetting as a result of the specific cross-sectional shape of the epidermal furrows when in contact with an object.

These two functions result in maintaining the optimum amount of moisture in the fingerprint ridges that maximizes friction whether the finger pad is initially wet or dry.

Seoung-Mok Yum el al., "Fingerprint ridges allow primates to regulate grip," PNAS (2020). www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.2001055117

https://phys.org/news/2020-11-fingerprints-moisture-regulating-mech...

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on November 30, 2020 at 11:05am

If the Earth is spinning all the time, why don’t things move around?

Curious Kids: If the Earth is spinning all the time, why don't things move around?

The Earth spins around its axis every day – but gravity keeps us firmly in place.

https://theconversation.com/curious-kids-if-the-earth-is-spinning-a...

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on November 30, 2020 at 10:54am

Adaptive structures cut down buildings and infrastructures carbon footprint

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on November 30, 2020 at 10:48am

Sestrin makes fruit flies live longer

Reduced food intake, known as dietary restriction, leads to a longer lifespan in many animals and can improve health in humans. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the positive effects of dietary restriction are still unclear. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing have now found one possible explanation in fruit flies: they identified a protein named Sestrin that mediates the beneficial effects of dietary restriction. By increasing the amount of Sestrin in flies, researchers were able to extend their lifespan and at the same time these flies were protected against the lifespan-shortening effects of a protein-rich diet. The researchers could further show that Sestrin plays a key role in stem cells in the fly gut thereby improving the health of the fly. The health benefits of dietary restriction have long been known. Recently, it has become clear that restriction of certain food components.

The results in flies revealed Sestrin as a novel potential anti-ageing factor.

https://www.age.mpg.de/public-relations/news/detail/positive-effect...

https://researchnews.cc/news/3854/Sestrin-makes-fruit-flies-live-lo...

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on November 29, 2020 at 9:47am

12 examples of good science communication

12 examples of stunning science communication

We’re seeing more amazing science stories than ever before. Here's 12 of the best from around the world.

https://shorthand.com/the-craft/12-examples-of-stunning-science-com...

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**This is how we prevent future pandemics, say 22 leading scientists

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/11/covid-19-pandemics-nature-sc...

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on November 29, 2020 at 9:22am

Virtual reality helps measure vulnerability to stress

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on November 28, 2020 at 12:13pm

Is Origin Of Life All About Energy?

What is the origin of life? It’s a question scientists, philosophers and theologians have debated for centuries. If you believe one widely accepted scientific theory, life on Earth was one big happy accident, overcoming the astronomical odds against it. But a new notion is rocking the scientific world, claiming that's not the case at all.

Thermodynamics of evolution and Darwinism According to thermodynamic theory, evolution (1978) is a spontaneous process that develops within living systems in accordance with the second law of thermodynamics. However, this process takes place against the background of non-spontaneous changes in the same systems - processes that are initiated by the environment. These non-spontaneous processes cannot be predicted by thermodynamics. Thus, Darwinism, the physical foundation of which is hierarchical thermodynamics, only partially determines the direction of the evolution of living beings. Evolution tends to develop according to the second law of thermodynamics, when the environment has relatively little effect on this evolutionary development. In the event of abrupt changes in the environment, evolutionary changes are unpredictable. Thermodynamics sets the trend of evolutionary changes only at certain stages of evolution. In this regard, in general, the theory of Darwinism, as a theory that establishes the direction of evolution, has limited application. This explanation does not require the use of the concept of artificial intelligence. The presented considerations make it possible to assert that life in the universe is characterized by practically infinite biological diversity, including the diversity of civilizations, in appropriate conditions within the framework of thermodynamics. Gladyshev G.P. J Thermodyn Catal, 2017, 8: 2 DOI: 10,4172 / 2157-7544.100018, Life - A Complex Spontaneous Process Takes Place against the Background of Non-Spontaneous Processes Initiated by the Environment P. S. It is interesting to note that in the work “On Growth and Form,” D’Arcy Wentworth Thompson argued that organisms are shaped less by adaptive evolutionary function and more by deep mathematical laws. To understand his argument, you need only look at the combs made by bees. One gets the impression that D’Arcy Wentworth Thompson argued that mathematical laws (thermodynamics) and environment (adaptation) determine evolution.

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on November 28, 2020 at 12:02pm

The Health Risks of Space: Scientists Just Unveiled The Biggest Study Yet

Space is a hostile place. We may have developed the technology to launch astronauts into orbit and get them home safely, but scientists are still figuring out how space travel affects human health, especially over the long haul. 

That's essential before any planned missions to Mars go ahead, to assure the health and safety of the astronauts aboard those momentous flights.

We already know from astronaut studies – perhaps most famously, NASA's Twins Study co-starring identical twins Scott and Mark Kelly – that extended space time affects blood flow to the brain, alters the gut microbiome, increases inflammation and causes blurred vision, brittle bones, and muscle wasting. 

Mouse studies simulating spaceflight have also suggested that heading into space ages the immune system and damages the brain.

Now, in a huge collective effort, scientists have published a giant trove of almost 30 papers investigating the health risks associated with space travel.

The collection amounts to the largest set of space biology data ever produced, and features some hefty analyses of observations from space-going flies, worms, mice, and of course, astronauts.  Some of the results reaffirm what we knew about space-related health problems, while other studies provide new insights, clarify previous results, or have found ways to improve future experiments.

The health perils of space travel start with the G forces felt by astronauts on lift-off, and continue with the exposure to hazardous space radiation and microgravity while in space.

On the treacherous journey to Mars, for example, astronauts will go far beyond Earth's protective magnetosphere and be exposed to cosmic radiation during the significant stretch of time it will take for them to venture out to our nearest planetary neighbour and return. Many of the studies published in this collection have pooled or re-analysed data from previous experiments made available to researchers through open-access data portals 

https://www.cell.com/c/the-biology-of-spaceflight

https://www.sciencealert.com/a-mass-dump-of-30-new-papers-explores-...

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on November 28, 2020 at 11:28am

Novel magnetic spray transforms objects into millirobots for biomedical applications

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on November 28, 2020 at 11:25am

Is it a bird? Is it a bee? No, it's a lizard pollinating South Africa's 'hidden flower'

How a chance encounter with a ‘weird plant’ in the Drakensberg mountains led to a startling discovery

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/nov/25/is-it-a-bird-is...

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