An image of the proteoglycans that have increased in the perineuronal net (green) that surrounds nerve cells (red) in the spinal cord following injury. Proteoglycans in the net limit functional regeneration and plasticity after spinal cord injury. The chondroitinase enzyme removes the net and allows for regeneration and functional recovery, especially at chronic stages.

Promising results provide hope for humans suffering from chronic paralysis. Millions of people worldwide are living with chronic spinal cord injuries, with 250,000 to 500,000 new cases each year – most from vehicle crashes or falls. The most severe spinal cord injuries completely paralyze their victims and more than half impair a person’s ability to breathe...

A computer model of the atomic structure of one of the new carbides. The jumbled mess of carbon and five metal elements gives stability to the overall structure.
Credit: Pranab Sarker, Duke University

Computational simulations predict new class of carbides that could disrupt industries from machinery to aerospace. Materials scientists at Duke University and UC San Diego have discovered a new class of carbides expected to be among the hardest materials with the highest melting points in existence. Made from inexpensive metals, the new materials may soon find use in a wide range of industries from machinery and hardware to aerospace.

A carbide is traditionally a compound consisting of carbon and one other element...

MarCO-B, one of the experimental Mars Cube One (MarCO) CubeSats, took this image of Mars from about 4,700 miles (6,000 kilometers) away during its flyby of the Red Planet on Nov. 26, 2018. MarCO-B was flying by Mars with its twin, MarCO-A, to attempt to serve as communications relays for NASA’s InSight spacecraft as it landed on Mars.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

NASA’s MarCO mission was built to see whether two experimental, briefcase-sized spacecraft could survive the trip to deep space, and the two CubeSats proved more than able. After cruising along behind NASA’s InSight for seven months, they successfully relayed data back down to Earth from the lander during its descent to the Martian surface on Monday, Nov. 26.

Nicknamed “EVE” and “WALL-E” after the stars of the 2008 Pixar film, MarCO-A ...

From left: Salk scientists Ludovic Mure and Satchin Panda uncover how certain retinal cells respond to artificial illumination.
Credit: Salk Institute

Scientists uncover how certain retinal cells respond to artificial illumination. For most, the time spent staring at screens – on computers, phones, iPads – constitutes many hours and can often disrupt sleep. Now, Salk Institute researchers have pinpointed how certain cells in the eye process ambient light and reset our internal clocks, the daily cycles of physiological processes known as the circadian rhythm. When these cells are exposed to artificial light late into the night, our internal clocks can get confused, resulting in a host of health issues.

The results, published November 27, 2018, in Cell Reports, may help lead to new treatments...