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    Protein that Blocks Body’s Ability to Clear Bad Cholesterol identified

    April 5, 2021, Categories  Health/Medical, Biology/Biotechnology

    Dawei Zhang
    U of A researcher Dawei Zhang was part of an international team that identified the protein that interferes with the body’s ability to get rid of “bad” cholesterol, which could point the way to better treatments to prevent heart disease. (Photo: Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry)

    Researchers are now looking to develop a drug that will boost existing statin drugs to prevent heart disease. The protein that interferes with low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptors that clear “bad” cholesterol from the blood was identified in findings recently published in Nature Communications by Dawei Zhang, associate professor of pediatrics in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry. Excess LDL cholesterol can lead to atherosclerosis — a narrowing and hardening of arteries — and ultimately, heart attack.

    “We...

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    NASA’s Ingenuity Helicopter dropped on Mars’ Surface ahead of Flight

    April 5, 2021, Categories  Astronomy/Space

    Ingenuity helicopter: first powered flight on Mars
    Graphic on Ingenuity, the helicopter hitching a ride on the Perseverance rover, which is scheduled to make its first flight in early April.

    NASA’s Ingenuity mini-helicopter has been dropped on the surface of Mars in preparation for its first flight, the US space agency said. The ultra-light aircraft had been fixed to the belly of the Perseverance rover, which touched down on the Red Planet on February 18.

    “MarsHelicopter touchdown confirmed!” NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory tweeted Saturday.

    “Its 293 million mile (471 million kilometer) journey aboard @NASAPersevere ended with the final drop of 4 inches (10 centimeter) from the rover’s belly to the surface of Mars today. Next milestone? Survive the night.”

    A photograph accompanying the tweet showed Perseverance had driven cle...

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    Using Holographic Endoscopes to Observe Distant Objects

    April 3, 2021, Categories  Health/Medical, Biology/Biotechnology

    A sequence of holograms displayed by a digital micromirror device spatially shapes the wavefronts coupled into a multimode optical fiber in such a way that a far-field focus scans the distal field of view. CREDIT: Tomas Cizmar
    A sequence of holograms displayed by a digital micromirror device spatially shapes the wavefronts coupled into a multimode optical fiber in such a way that a far-field focus scans the distal field of view. CREDIT: Tomas Cizmar

    Endoscopes made of single-hair thin optical fibers can reconstruct images of macroscopic objects at larger imaging distances. Scientists are developing tools to observe the biological machinery in in vivo animal models to be able to understand and better treat severe brain diseases like Alzheimer’s disease and many other conditions. Holographic endoscopes attracted researchers’ interest because of their potential to conduct minimally invasive observations inside the human body.

    These tools can shed light on the biological processes occurring at the macromolecu...

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    Mon NASA’s InSight Detects Two Sizable Quakes on Mars

    April 2, 2021, Categories  Astronomy/Space

    The InSight Lander
    This artist’s concept shows the InSight lander, its sensors, cameras and instruments. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

    NASA’s InSight lander has detected two strong, clear quakes originating in a location of Mars called Cerberus Fossae—the same place where two strong quakes were seen earlier in the mission. The new quakes have magnitudes of 3.3 and 3.1; the previous quakes were magnitude 3.6 and 3.5. InSight has recorded over 500 quakes to date, but because of their clear signals, these are four of the best quake records for probing the interior of the planet.

    Studying marsquakes is one way the InSight science team seeks to develop a better understanding of Mars’ mantle and core...

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