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Mars Base

Exoplanet Atmospheres Provide Clues to Solar System Formation - 0 views

www.universetoday.com/...clue-to-solar-system-formation

scibyte86 exoplanet

shared by Mars Base on 15 Mar 13 - No Cached
  • even with water present on this world, it is incredibly hostile to life
  • Like Jupiter, it has no solid surface, and it has a temperature of more than a thousand degree
  • This is the sharpest spectrum ever obtained of an extrasolar planet
  • ...1 more annotation...
  • The results suggest the HR 8799 system is like a scaled-up Solar System
Mars Base

Nanoparticles loaded with bee venom kill HIV - 0 views

medicalxpress.com/...noparticles-bee-venom-hiv.html

scibyte86 HIVTreatment

shared by Mars Base on 15 Mar 13 - No Cached
  • Nanoparticles carrying a toxin found in bee venom can destroy human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) while leaving surrounding cells unharmed
  • The finding is an important step toward developing a vaginal gel that may prevent the spread of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS
  • hope is that in places where HIV is running rampant, people could use this gel as a preventive measure to stop the initial infection
  • ...15 more annotations...
  • Bee venom contains a potent toxin called melittin that can poke holes in the protective envelope that surrounds HIV, and other viruses
  • in addition to anti-viral therapy, the paper's senior author
  • has shown melittin-loaded nanoparticles to be effective in killing tumor cells.
  • The new study shows that melittin loaded onto these nanoparticles does not harm normal cells
  • because
  • added protective bumpers to the nanoparticle surface
  • When the nanoparticles come into contact with normal cells, which are much larger in size, the particles simply bounce off
  • HIV, on the other hand, is even smaller than the nanoparticle, so HIV fits between the bumpers and makes contact with the surface of the nanoparticle, where the bee toxin awaits
  • , an advantage of this approach is that the nanoparticle attacks an essential part of the virus' structure. In contrast, most anti-HIV drugs inhibit the virus's ability to replicate.
  • this anti-replication strategy does nothing to stop initial infection, and some strains of the virus have found ways around these drugs and reproduce anyway.
  • attacking an inherent physical property of HIV
  • Theoretically, there isn't any way for the virus to adapt to that
  • potential for using nanoparticles with melittin as therapy for existing HIV infections, especially those that are drug-resistant
  • Since melittin attacks double-layered membranes indiscriminately, this concept is not limited to HIV.
  • Many viruses, including hepatitis B and C, rely on the same kind of protective envelope and would be vulnerable to melittin-loaded nanoparticles
Mars Base

Curiosity Once Again in Safe Mode - If Only Briefly - 0 views

www.universetoday.com/...n-in-safe-mode-if-only-briefly

scibyte86 Curiosity

shared by Mars Base on 19 Mar 13 - No Cached
  • Mars explorer once again went into standby status as the result of a software discrepancy — although mission engineers diagnosed the new problem quickly and anticipate having the rover out of safe mode in a couple of days.
  • a very straightforward matter to deal with
  • can just delete that file, which we don’t need anymore, and we know how to keep this from occurring in the future
  • ...6 more annotations...
  • automated fault-protection action, entering ‘safe mode’ at about 8 p.m. PDT (11 p.m. EDT) on March 16,
  • It did not switch to the A-side computer, which was restored last week and is available as a back-up if needed. The rover is stable, healthy and in communication with engineers.
  • safe-mode entry was triggered when a command file failed a size-check by the rover’s protective software
  • Engineers diagnosed a software bug that appended an unrelated file to the file being checked, causing the size mismatch
  • another hiatus — this one planned — will commence on April 4, when Mars will begin passing behind the Sun from Earth’s perspective
  • Mission engineers will refrain from sending commands to the rover during a four-week period to avoid data corruption from solar interference.
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