Science & Technology

New gene-delivery method restores partial hearing, balance in deaf mice

Harvard Medical School
Thu, 26 Jan 2017 00:00 UTC

© Harvard Medical School
Scientists have developed a new way to deliver genes into the hair cells of the inner ear in mice.

Using a novel form of gene therapy, scientists from Harvard Medical School and the Massachusetts General Hospital have managed to restore partial hearing and balance in mice born with a genetic condition that affects both.

The new model overcomes a long-standing barrier to accessing hair cells, the delicate sensors in the inner ear that capture sound and head movement and convert them to neural signals for hearing and balance. These cells have been notoriously difficult to treat with previous gene-delivery techniques.

The team's findings, published in the February issue of Molecular Therapy, show that the treatment leads to notable gains in hearing and allows mice that would normally be completely deaf to hear the equivalent of a loud conversation. The approach also improved the animals' sense of balance.

Mars 'Curiosity' encounters potential new meteorite

Bob King
Universe Today
Mon, 16 Jan 2017 00:00 UTC

© NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
This peculiar rock, photographed on Jan. 12 (Sol 1577) by NASA’s Curiosity rover, appears to be a metal meteorite. When confirmed, this would be the rover’s third meteorite find on the Red Planet. Click for the high resolution original.

Rolling up the slopes of Mt. Sharp recently, NASA's Curiosity rover appears to have stumbled across yet another meteorite, its third since touching down nearly four and a half years ago. While not yet confirmed, the turkey-shaped object has a gray, metallic luster and a lightly-dimpled texture that hints of regmaglypts. Regmaglypts, indentations that resemble thumbprints in Play-Doh, are commonly seen in meteorites and caused by softer materials stripped from the rock's surface during the brief but intense heat and pressure of its plunge through the atmosphere.

Russia presents new MiG-35 fighter jet designed to potentially use laser guns

RT
Fri, 27 Jan 2017 21:49 UTC

Russia has launched flight tests of its latest lightweight fighter, MiG-35. The military aircraft, which has been constructed to be potentially equipped with laser weapons, will in the near future replace previous generation jets in the Russian Air Force.

The new fighter jet by the Mikoyan Aircraft Corporation (MiG) can fly at speeds of over 2,700 km/h (1,700 mph) and reach heights of up to 17,500 meters (57,400 feet). Its strike radius is 1,000 km (620 miles), while it can be in action twice as long as previous generation fighters, as there is an option to replace the second pilot's seat with an extra fuel tank.

"The 3,500 kilometers [2,175 miles] that MiG-35 is able to fly suits us very well," Russian Air Force Commander Viktor Bondarev has said.

How tiny microbes are revolutionizing big agriculture

Mathew Wallenstein
The Conversation
Wed, 25 Jan 2017 00:55 UTC

Walk into your typical U.S. or U.K. grocery store and feast your eyes on an amazing bounty of fresh and processed foods. In most industrialized countries, it's hard to imagine that food production is one of the greatest challenges we will face in the coming decades.

By the year 2050, the human population is projected to grow from 7.5 billion to nearly 10 billion. To feed them, we will need to almost double food production within just three decades, all in the face of increasing drought, herbicide and pesticide resistance, and in a world where the best cropland is already being farmed.

Study finds dogs are happiest listening to reggae and soft rock

Study Finds
Thu, 26 Jan 2017 16:02 UTC

If a chewing treat or rubber toy isn't getting the job done when it comes to exciting your pooch, turning on the radio just might do the trick. Just be careful as to which station you put on, as a new study finds dogs can be particular when it comes to the type of music they prefer.

Researchers out of the University of Glasgow in Scotland, along with folks at the Scottish SPCA, found that reggae and soft rock topped the canine charts, though certain dogs do seem to have various tastes.

"We were keen to explore the effect playing different genres of music had, and it was clear that the physiological and behavioural changes observed were maintained during the trial when the dogs were exposed to a variety of music," said PhD student Amy Bowman.

The musical experimentation took place at the SPCA in Dumbarton, Scotland, where researchers studied how dogs there responded to different styles of music.

"Overall, the response to different genres was mixed highlighting the possibility that like humans, our canine friends have their own individual music preferences," said Professor Neil Evans. "That being said, reggae music and soft rock showed the highest positive changes in behaviour."

Back in 2015, the Scottish SPCA also released a study showing classical music had a calming effect on dogs. Researchers at Colorado State University reached the same conclusion in a 2012 study. That study also found heavy metal boosted anxiety and unrest in dogs.

New spacesuit unveiled for Starliner astronauts

Steven Siceloff
NASA
Fri, 27 Jan 2017 00:42 UTC

Astronauts heading into orbit aboard Boeing's Starliner spacecraft will wear lighter and more comfortable spacesuits than earlier suits astronauts wore. The suit capitalizes on historical designs, meets NASA requirements for safety and functionality, and introduces cutting-edge innovations. Boeing unveiled its spacesuit design Wednesday as the company continues to move toward flight tests of its Starliner spacecraft and launch systems that will fly astronauts to the International Space Station.

A few of the advances in the design:

Lighter and more flexible through use of advanced materials and new joint patterns
Helmet and visor incorporated into the suit instead of detachable
Touchscreen-sensitive gloves
Vents that allow astronauts to be cooler, but can still pressurize the suit immediately

The full suit, which includes an integrated shoe, weighs about 20 pounds with all its accessories - about 10 pounds lighter than the launch-and-entry suits worn by space shuttle astronauts.

Scientists develop 'world's most powerful' laser

RT
Thu, 26 Jan 2017 00:44 UTC

A team of British and Czech scientists have developed a laser costing €44 million that they say is 10 times more powerful than any other on the planet and has the potential to revolutionize engineering in aeronautics, power and automotive industries.

The 20-ton so-called "Super Laser" has an average power output of 1,000 watts, in what is seen as a benchmark in sustained high energy pulses - far greater than the world's other high-power beams in Osaka and Texas.

Not sci-fi anymore: Paris introduces first autonomous buses

Rt
Wed, 25 Jan 2017 16:08 UTC

© Jacky Naegelen / Reuters
Two self-driving electric minibuses are seen on the 130-metre (142-yard) test route between Gare de Lyon and Austerlitz train stations, the first regular line opened by the Paris transport company RATP, in Paris, France, January 24, 2017.

The first self-driving buses have taken to the streets of Paris on a route between two train stations.

There are now two such buses, each of which can take up to six people the 200 meters over a bridge between the Lyon and Austerlitz train stations.

3D bioprinter can now print human skin

Michael Gardiner
ATI
Tue, 24 Jan 2017 18:59 UTC

Spanish scientists have unveiled a 3D bioprinter that can create functional human skin.

The scientists, from the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, CIEMAT (Center for Energy, Environmental and Technological Research) and the Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, report that doctors can transplant the 3D-printed skin onto patients or that cosmetic, chemical, or pharmaceutical manufacturers can use it to test their products.

According to the research published in the journal Biofabrication, the bioprinted skin mimics skin's natural structure, with an external layer meshed with a thicker, deeper layer. The first layer, or epidermis, acts as protection against the external environment, while the second, the dermis, lends elasticity and strength to the skin.

They were able to create this highly realistic skin using bioinks made from living human cell ingredients, which these scientists believe are the key to 3D bioprinting. Instead of using typical ink from regular printer cartridges, the bioprinter uses bioinks made of biological components.

A new satellite view of the blue mists over the Great Smoky Mountains

Stephanie Pappas
CBS News
Tue, 24 Jan 2017 11:18 UTC

© NASA EARTH OBSERVATORY
This image of the Great Smoky Mountains is a mosaic that was stitched together from the most cloud-free pixels snapped by the satellites Landsat 5 and Landsat 7 between 1986 and 2013.

A new satellite view of the Smoky Mountains shows the blue mist that gives the region its name.

The image, shared by NASA's Earth Observatory, is a best-pixel image of Great Smoky Mountains National Park in east Tennessee. That means that it's made up of the most cloud-free pixels taken from the Landsat 5 and Landsat 7 satellites between 1986 and 2013.

Gatlinburg, the town hit hard by a fast-moving wildfire in November, is visible in this view as a grayish blur tucked between ridges. East of Gatlinburg is Clingman's Dome, the highest point in Great Smoky Mountains National Park at 6,643 feet. Clingman's Dome is also the highest point in all of Tennessee. The body of water just right of the center of the image is Lake Fontana in North Carolina, a reservoir on the Little Tennessee River.

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Science & Technology

New gene-delivery method restores partial hearing, balance in deaf mice

Mars 'Curiosity' encounters potential new meteorite

Russia presents new MiG-35 fighter jet designed to potentially use laser guns

How tiny microbes are revolutionizing big agriculture

Study finds dogs are happiest listening to reggae and soft rock

New spacesuit unveiled for Starliner astronauts

Scientists develop 'world's most powerful' laser

Not sci-fi anymore: Paris introduces first autonomous buses

3D bioprinter can now print human skin

A new satellite view of the blue mists over the Great Smoky Mountains

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