Scientists converted a type A kidney into a type O universal donor kidney. Enzymes removed specific antigens from the organ.
Category: innovation – Page 7
Dark matter detector succeeds in performing measurements with nearly no radioactive interference
In their search for dark matter, scientists from the XENON Collaboration are using one of the world’s most sensitive dark matter detectors, XENONnT at the Gran Sasso Laboratory of the National Institute of Nuclear Physics INFN in Italy, to detect extremely rare particle interactions. These could provide clues about the nature of dark matter. The problem, however, is that tiny amounts of natural radioactivity generate background events that can mask these weak signals.
The XENONnT experiment has made a breakthrough by significantly reducing one of the most problematic contaminants— radon, a radioactive gas. For the first time, the research team has succeeded in reducing the detector’s radon-induced radioactivity to a level a billion times lower than the very low natural radioactivity of the human body.
The underlying technology, which the XENONnT consortium reports in the current issue of the Physical Review X, was developed by a team led by particle physicist Prof Christian Weinheimer from the University of Münster.
Teams with budding researchers are more likely to drive scientific disruption, new study finds
Scientific research apparently has its own share of beginner’s luck. According to a study by Mahdee Mushfique Kamal and Raiyan Abdul Baten, teams with a larger number of newbies take the cake when it comes to transformative scientific research. Their study examined 28 million articles spanning five decades of scientific publications to understand how beginner authors drive scientific advancement.
The duo developed what they call a disruption score, ranging from-1 to +1. A score closer to-1 indicates that a paper mainly reinforces existing knowledge and builds directly on established work. On the other end of the spectrum lies +1, which signals a disruptive paper which has the ability to shift the direction of science by opening new paths and making previous work less central.
They observed a universal phenomenon known as the “beginner’s charm,” where teams with higher fractions of beginner authors systematically produced more disruptive and innovative scientific work. Teams with more senior members produce less disruptive work, and this negative correlation was strong.
HIV mystery uncovered: How the virus reprograms host cells to create perfect hiding places
For over three decades, HIV has played an elaborate game of hide-and-seek with researchers, making treating—and possibly even curing—the disease a seemingly insurmountable obstacle to achieve.
But scientists at Case Western Reserve University have made a breakthrough discovery that could fundamentally change strategies for treating HIV.
The team identified for the first time how HIV enters a dormant state in infected cells that allows the virus to “hide” from the immune system and current treatments.
China introduces new ‘bone glue’ inspired by oysters for fast fracture repairing
A Chinese research team in East China’s Zhejiang Province unveiled an innovative product called “Bone 02” bone glue on Wednesday. Inspired by oysters, this glue can treat fractures with a single injection and bond shattered bone fragments in just three minutes, according to local media Zhejiang Online.
The team leader, Lin Xianfeng, an associate chief orthopedic surgeon at Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital affiliated with the renowned Zhejiang University, said the adhesive can achieve precise fixation within two to three minutes, even in a blood-rich environment. In one trial case, the procedure was completed in less than three minutes — whereas traditional treatment would have required a large incision to implant steel plates and screws, Zhejiang Online said.
Laboratory tests confirmed that ‘Bone-02’ performed strongly in both safety and effectiveness. It demonstrated a maximum bonding force of over 400 pounds, a shear strength of about 0.5 MPa, and a compressive strength of around 10 MPa. These properties suggest it has the potential to replace traditional metal implants, while also reducing the risks of foreign-body reactions and infection, said the report.
Gradient-doped crystal design enhances laser performance in dual-end pumping configuration
Recently, the research groups led by Prof. Zhang Qingli and Prof. Jiang Haihe from Hefei institutes of Physical Science (HFIPS) of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) have jointly developed a high-symmetry gradient-doped Nd:YAG laser crystal designed for dual-end pumping configurations. This innovation significantly mitigates thermal effects and enhances laser performance.
