Lifeboat Foundation

For millennia, humans in the high latitudes have been enthralled by auroras—the northern and southern lights. Yet even after all that time, it appears the ethereal, dancing ribbons of light above Earth still hold some secrets.

In a new study, physicists led by the University of Iowa report a new feature to Earth’s atmospheric light show. Examining video taken nearly two decades ago, the researchers describe multiple instances where a section of the diffuse aurora —the faint, background-like glow accompanying the more vivid light commonly associated with auroras—goes dark, as if scrubbed by a giant blotter. Then, after a short period of time, the blacked-out section suddenly reappears.

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Top U.S. fuel pipeline operator Colonial Pipeline has shut its entire network, the source of nearly half of the U.S. East Coast’s fuel supply, after a cyber attack that the company said was caused by ransomware.

The shutdown has raised fears of a price spike at the gas pumps ahead of peak demand summer driving season if it persists, and has drawn attention to how critical U.S. energy infrastructure is vulnerable to hackers.

Colonial transports 2.5 million barrels per day of gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and other refined products through 5500 miles (8850 km) of pipelines linking refiners on the Gulf Coast to the eastern and southern United States.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=yrx2PBzeRdU

Virgin Orbit, the sister company of Virgin Galactic, is gearing up for its next space launch in June when it will put six satellites in orbit.

The mission, named “Tubular Bells, Part One” after the first album Virgin Records released in 1973, will launch satellites for the U.S. Department of Defense, Poland’s SatRevolution and the Royal Netherlands Air Force.

Continue reading “Virgin Orbit plans first commercial launch for June, will put 6 satellites into orbit” »

Findings that could help further understand how living tissue reacts to radiation exposure.

Energy flows through a system of atoms or molecules by a series of processes such as transfers, emissions, or decay. You can visualize some of these details like passing a ball (the energy) to someone else (another particle), except the pass happens quicker than the blink of an eye, so fast that the details about the exchange are not well understood. Imagine the same exchange happening in a busy room, with others bumping into you and generally complicating and slowing the pass. Then, imagine how much faster the exchange would be if everyone stepped back and created a safe bubble for the pass to happen unhindered.

An international collaboration of scientists, including UConn Professor of Physics Nora Berrah and post-doctoral researcher and lead author Aaron LaForge, witnessed this bubble-mediated enhancement between two helium atoms using ultrafast lasers. Their results are now published in Physical Review X.

Most deaths associated with lung cancer are due to the migration of cancer cells to other organs—a process called metastasis. Although cancer therapies have advanced, treatments for lung cancer metastasis continue to lag.

The root of red ginseng (Panax ginseng) has been used as food and herbal medicine for thousands of years globally and especially in Korea and China, owing to its medicinal properties. However, the composition and activities of red ginseng vary depending on the processing method. Recent studies have shown the efficacy of red ginseng against lung cancer metastasis.

A new study conducted by scientists at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) reports the successful use of a microwave processing method for ginseng that increases trace amounts of Rk1 and Rg5 ginsenosides—a class of natural steroid sugars found almost exclusively in plants of the genus Panax —that effectively inhibit the metastasis of lung cancer.

After doubling its sample size, the largest study of genetic data from autistic people has identified 255 genes associated with the condition, an increase of more than 40 genes since the researchers’ 2019 update; 71 of the genes rise above a stringent statistical bar the team had not previously used. The new analysis also adds data from people with developmental delay or schizophrenia and considers multiple types of mutations.

“It’s a really significant step forward in what we do,” said Kyle Satterstrom, a computational biologist in Mark Daly’s lab at the Broad Institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Satterstrom presented the findings virtually on Tuesday at the 2021 International Society for Autism Research annual meeting. (Links to abstracts may work only for registered conference attendees.)

The team’s previous analyses used data from the Autism Sequencing Consortium, which enrolls families through their doctors. The researchers mainly scoured the genetic data to find rare, non-inherited mutations linked to autism.

In a study of the worm C. elegans, the team found bacteria species linked to the development of the conditions, and others that can counteract the effect.

Researcher Professor Johann de Bono said: ‘There’s a lot of evidence that prostate cancer causes what we call immune tolerance — that the cancer suppresses the body from attacking it with its immune cells.

Scientists have discovered that a key protein may be the secret to treating prostate cancer patients with ‘miracle’ immunotherapy drugs.

Clinical trials have now begun – with the goal of unleashing cancer-killing white blood cells to attack the tumour.

Continue reading “Have scientists found the key to beating prostate cancer?” »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dd0Ca0mbx_c&feature=share

On May 6, 2021 NASA published 4K UHD image from Ingenuity Mars Helicopter’s onboard camera and video footage during flight at Airfield B. Successful 4th flight on Mars for 133 meters distance by Ingenuity happened on April 30. New Ingenuity’s location called Airfield B. Previous location is Wright Brothers Field. The helicopter climbing to an altitude of 16 feet (5 meters) before flying south approximately 436 feet (133 meters) and then back, for an 872-foot (266-meter) round trip. In total, we were in the air for 117 seconds. NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter’s fourth flight path is superimposed here atop terrain imaged by the HiRISE camera aboard the agency’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter took 4K color image during its fourth flight. “Airfield B,” its new landing site, can be seen below. The helicopter will seek to set down there on its fifth flight attempt to 10 meters altitude on May 7th.

Credit: nasa.gov, NASA/JPL-Caltech, NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU

Continue reading “Ingenuity Mars Helicopter’s onboard camera footage in 4K at Airfield B (5th flight landing site)” »