As the solar system’s planets rove around the sun, sometimes a few will appear to line up in the sky. But have all eight planets ever truly aligned?
The answer depends on how generous you are with the definition of “align” for the solar system’s planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.
Researchers at UCL and UCLH have successfully completed the first trial of a therapy designed to restore hearing loss. The REGAIN trial, the results of which were published in Nature Communications, was the first study of a treatment aimed at restoring lost hearing, focusing on a drug with the technical name gamma-secretase inhibitor LY3056480.
The researchers found that while the therapy did not restore hearing across the group of adults with mild to moderate hearing loss, a deeper analysis of the data showed changes in various hearing tests in some patients, suggesting the drug has some activity in the inner ear.
These so-called efficacy signals call for further development of LY3056480—using the learnings from this trial.
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20240320/Study-highlights-…idism.aspx Frontiers
In a recent study published in Frontiers in Nutrition, researchers explored the association between the microbial community of the gut and hypothyroidism.
Study: Cross-talk between the gut microbiota and hypothyroidism: a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization study. Image Credit: sdecoret/Shutterstock.com.
Continue reading “Study highlights causal associations between gut microbes and hypothyroidism” »
As the world inches ever closer to mind-reading technology, some scientists are calling to legally enshrine the right to keep our thoughts to ourselves.
In interviews with Undark, neuroscientists — including those who are working to make these so-called brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) happen — revealed their concerns about the devices.
In one particularly telling exchange, a pair of researchers from the University of Texas at Austin who’ve successfully created a BCI that can rudimentarily translate brain waves into text described how it felt to realize their device was actually reading their thoughts.
Nvidia on Monday announced a new generation of artificial intelligence chips and software for running AI models.
From abstract-looking cloud formations to roars of snow machines on ski slopes, the transformation of liquid water into solid ice touches many facets of life. Water’s freezing point is generally accepted to be 32 degrees Fahrenheit. But that is due to ice nucleation—impurities in everyday water raise its freezing point to this temperature. Now, researchers unveil a theoretical model that shows how specific structural details on surfaces can influence water’s freezing point.
Mike Dougherty American Heart Association Epidemiology and Prevention|Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health Scientific Sessions 2024, Abstract P192.
03/19/24 Editor’s note:
Private space company Sierra Space has blown up its first full-scale inflatable space habitat, dubbed the Large Integrated Flexible Environment (LIFE) — and it was all part of the plan.
The balloon-like contraption, which measured just over 20 feet tall, held a third of the volume of the International Space Station once fully inflated. During a recent test, engineers at the Colorado-based company kept pumping it with air, reaching a whopping 77 psi — well above NASA’s recommended level of 60.8 psi — before it exploded in spectacular fashion.
Continue reading “Full-Scale Prototype Space Habitat Explodes Under Pressure” »
Chinese scientists are working on a giant electromagnetic launch track to launch a massive 50-ton spaceplane — longer than a Boeing 737 — into orbit.
As the South China Morning Post reports, the “giant rail gun” system is designed to accelerate a hypersonic aircraft to speeds of up to Mach 1.6. Once it reaches the end of the track, its engine then accelerates it to the edge of space at seven times the speed of sound.
If actually built, it could greatly cut down on the amount of fuel such a craft would need to get to space, allowing it to carry bigger payloads — and save a considerable amount of money as well.
A recent study explored a potential connection between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and bladder pain syndrome/interstitial cystitis (BPS/IC) in women. The findings published in the Sleep and Breathing Journal underline the importance of understanding the interplay between sleep disorders and urological conditions.
This study investigated the frequency of BPS/IC in women diagnosed with OSA when compared to those without OSA. A total of 92 women participated, where 46 were diagnosed with OSA and an equal number serving as the control group. Various assessments including the Berlin Questionnaire, Epworth Sleepiness Scale, Interstitial Cystitis Symptom Index (ICSI) and Interstitial Cystitis Problem Index (ICPI) were evaluated in all participants.
The results revealed that women with OSA expressed higher scores on the Epworth Sleepiness Scale which indicates increased daytime sleepiness, while there were no significant differences in age and body mass index between the two groups. Also, the measures of BPS/IC symptoms (ICSI) and associated daily life disruptions (ICPI) were significantly increased in the OSA group when compared to controls.
