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A deep look into the unique structure and behavior of confined water

Despite being one of the most familiar substances on Earth, water holds many secrets that scientists are still working to understand. When confined to extremely small spaces—such as within certain proteins, minerals, or artificial nanomaterials—water behaves in ways that are drastically different from its bulk liquid form.

These confinement effects are critical for many natural and technological processes, including regulating the flow of ions through cell membranes and the properties of nanofluidic systems.

One intriguing yet poorly understood state of confined water is called the “premelting state.” In this unique phase, water behaves as if it were on the cusp of freezing and melting at the same time, thus defying simple liquid or solid classifications. However, it has proven difficult to study the premelting state and other confined water dynamics in detail.

Engineered gut bacteria improve survival outcomes in colorectal cancer tumors

In a new study that combines synthetic biology with cancer immunotherapy, researchers from the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS Medicine) and Central South University in China have developed an engineered strain of gut-homing bacteria that stimulates potent antitumor immune responses against colorectal cancer (CRC).

Antitumor immune responses refer to the actions taken by the body’s immune system to recognize, attack, and destroy . It operates like the body’s internal surveillance system, spotting rogue cells (like ) and activating its defense forces to eliminate them.

Harnessing the immune system to fight cancer offers a powerful and precise approach to disease control. Unlike traditional treatments such as chemotherapy or radiation, which can harm healthy cells, immune responses can selectively target and destroy cancer cells with high specificity.

Single drug provides first evidence of ‘nearly universal’ pharmacological chaperone for rare disease

A study published in Nature Structural & Molecular Biology is the first time researchers have shown evidence that a single drug, already licensed for medical use, can stabilize nearly all mutated versions of a human protein, regardless of where the mutation is in the sequence.

The researchers engineered seven thousand versions of the vasopressin V2 receptor (V2R), which is critical for normal kidney function, creating all possible mutated variants in the lab.

Faulty mutations in V2R prevent from responding to the hormone vasopressin, leading to the inability to concentrate urine and resulting in excessive thirst and large volumes of dilute urine, causing nephrogenic diabetes insipidus (NDI), also known as arginine vasopressin resistance, a rare disease affecting roughly one in 25,000 people.

Stem Cells Repair Brain Damage Caused by Stroke in Mice

Brain damage caused by blocked blood vessels may be treatable using injections of stem cells, according to a new study by researchers from the University of Zurich and the University of Southern California.

The results could one day help patients who have experienced some forms of stroke recover lost functions.

Using mice with stroke-induced brain damage, the researchers found that injections of human stem cells could successfully develop into immature brain cells. The results were dramatic: most of the implanted cells remained in place, developing features of fully functioning neurons and communicating with surrounding cells.

Rare-earth tritellurides reveal a hidden ferroaxial order of electronic origin

The discovery of “hidden orders,” organization patterns in materials that cannot be detected using conventional measurement tools, can yield valuable insight, which can in turn support the design of new materials with advantageous properties and characteristics. The hidden orders that condensed matter physicists hope to uncover lie within so-called charge density waves (CDWs).

CDWs are periodic wave-like modulations of the electronic charge inside a crystal. CDWs in rare-earth tellurides, compounds containing tellurium and other rare-earth elements, have been found to sometimes give rise to unusual physical phenomena that are not observed in the absence of these wave-like states of matter.

Researchers at Boston College, Cornell University and other institutes recently observed a ferroaxial order in rare-earth tellurides that appears to originate from a combination of coupled orbital and charge patterns.

Robotaxi Wars Just Got BLOODY

Waymo’s partnership with Lyft in Nashville highlights advancements in robo-taxi safety, but the company faces significant challenges from Tesla’s established infrastructure and competitive landscape in the rapidly evolving autonomous vehicle market ## Questions to inspire discussion.

Tesla’s Robotaxi Advantage.

🚗 Q: How does Tesla’s manufacturing efficiency give it an edge in the robotaxi market? A: Tesla can build cars for one-third the price of competitors, with built-in Shepherds and the ability to manufacture at cost for FSD or robotaxi network use.

🌐 Q: What makes Tesla’s global expansion strategy unique? A: Tesla’s global approach and rapid execution allow it to go anywhere once FSD works, making it difficult for competitors to match its scale and speed.

🧠 Q: How significant is Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology? A: Tesla’s FSD is a gigantic advantage, with take rates tripling to double digits and expected to triple again, making it hard for others to compete.

Waymo’s Progress and Challenges.

Continue reading “Robotaxi Wars Just Got BLOODY” | >

A mobile robot scientist capable of carrying out experiments by itself

We live in a time when robots can clean our homes, drive our vehicles, deactivate bombs, offer prosthetic limbs, help healthcare workers, read the news, entertain, teach, and many more. And now, there is a robot scientist that can work on behalf of humans 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Researchers at the University of Liverpool have built an intelligent “robot scientist” capable of moving around a laboratory and carrying out scientific experiments by itself. The first of its kind machine with humanoid dimensions are designed to work in a standard laboratory, using instruments much as a human researcher does. It can also make its own decisions about which chemistry experiments to perform next.

The robot scientist is 1.75-meter tall, weighs around 400 kg, and can roam around the laboratory, performing a wide range of different tasks. Unlike a human being, the robot has infinite patience, can think in 10 dimensions, and works for 21.5 hours each day, pausing only to recharge its battery for two hours. This will allow scientists to automate time-consuming and tedious research they wouldn’t otherwise tackle.

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