Rare Ocelot Sighting in Arizona

Daily Upsider on August 30, 2024

A recent animal sighting in Arizona has drawn attention: an ocelot, a small wildcat species, was recorded in the Atascosa Highlands of Southern Arizona’s Coronado National Forest.

Native mostly to South and Central America, ocelots once ranged further north, including areas above the Rio Grande. The cat was captured on camera by one of 50 traps set by the Phoenix Zoo as part of a wildlife monitoring project. The slopes of the Tumacacori, Atascosa, and Pajarito mountains, covered in thornscrub and oak woodlands, provide ideal terrain for this nocturnal predator.

Kinley Ragan, the Phoenix Zoo’s field research project manager, discovered the footage during a routine battery check, which required a 40-minute hike in 95-degree heat. “The ocelot video was one of the last I reviewed, and it gave me chills,” Ragan said. “I couldn’t believe it at first, but then I realized the significance of this discovery.”

The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) confirmed that this is a new ocelot, identified through a pelage spot analysis. Ocelots have been listed as endangered in the United States since 1972 and are rarely seen in Arizona. This particular cat was observed in desert scrub at lower elevations than usual for ocelots in the state.

Another ocelot has been consistently recorded over the past year in the Huachuca mountain range, more than 50 miles away from this new sighting. A previous survey in the area identified 21 mammal species but no ocelots. With this new evidence, the zoo plans to conduct broader surveys and DNA analysis from nearby water sources to better understand the ocelot’s presence in the area and possibly reveal more about this region of the American desert.

Electric Bandage Accelerates Healing of Chronic Wounds

Daily Upsider on August 30, 2024

Researchers have created an affordable bandage that uses an electric field to accelerate the healing of chronic wounds. In animal tests, researchers found that mice treated with these electric bandages healed 30% faster than those treated with traditional bandages. The study was published in Science Advances.

“Our aim was to create an affordable technology that speeds up healing for patients with chronic wounds,” said Amay Bandodkar, study co-author and assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at North Carolina State University, in a press release. “We also wanted the technology to be simple enough for people to use at home, rather than something that requires clinical administration.” Chronic wounds are tissue injuries that fail to heal properly within three months, often leading to impaired function and anatomy.

These disposable bandages are activated by water and feature electrodes that contact the wound, with a battery placed on the outside. The battery generates an electric field lasting several hours, which accelerates the healing process.

“The electrical stimulation from the device sped up wound closure, promoted the formation of new blood vessels, and reduced inflammation—all of which contribute to improved wound healing,” said Maggie Jakus, a co-first author and graduate student at Columbia University. The study notes that chronic wounds affect about 2% of the U.S. population, increasing the risks of amputation and mortality. Unfortunately, current treatments are often expensive, complex, and only moderately effective.

The research was conducted by a team of 17 scientists from Columbia University, North Carolina State University, University of North Carolina, Harvard Medical School, Georgia Institute of Technology, and other institutions.

According to the study, if the bandages can be successfully manufactured, they would only cost around $1.

Plastic from Corn Waste

Daily Upsider on August 29, 2024

An Indian entrepreneur is using sugar, cellulose, and corn fibers to create a plastic-like bag for small Indian businesses. His company, Bio Reform, has already replaced 6 million plastic bags at checkout counters across India.

Based in Hyderabad, Mohammed Azhar Mohiuddin conceived the idea during the pandemic. He focused on society’s heavy reliance on plastic, particularly plastic shopping bags, and sought an alternative.

While large brands were switching to paper or jute alternatives, small and medium businesses in India found biodegradable bags too expensive. Mohiuddin researched a biodegradable polymer called PBAT (Polybutylene adipate-co-terephthalate), developed in the 1980s using corn and potatoes.

After navigating scams and government quarantines to find suitable machinery in Gujarat, his presentation on PBAT secured nearly $100,000 (RS1 crore) in seed funding, allowing him to launch the project. “I tried to balance both my studies and the operations of the company—from collecting raw material, assisting workers to manufacture bags, delivering the products in the market,” Mohiuddin told The Better India. “I used to sleep in a corner in the factory.”

Despite facing bankruptcy, university challenges, and a backlog of orders, Bio Reform eventually turned a profit and now produces nearly 500,000 bags annually, with a gross revenue of $180,000.

“Issues related to plastic pollution are not limited to affecting aquatic life and animals anymore. Today, microplastic has reached our bloodstream. Bottled water contains microplastics. Addressing this is an important and urgent problem,” he told TBI.

Amazing Roman Engineering Still Used Today

Daily Upsider on August 29, 2024

Thanks to the advanced craftsmanship of ancient Roman architects and their remarkably durable building materials, many of the empire’s most impressive structures still stand today, attracting millions of tourists—over 6 million visit the Colosseum alone each year. However, perhaps the most astonishing engineering feat of ancient Rome is its iconic aqueducts, one of which continues to supply water to the city millennia after it was built.

While the Romans didn’t invent the aqueduct Roman engineers perfected the concept. The Acqua Vergine, originally built as the Aqua Virgo during Emperor Augustus’s reign in 19 BC, still delivers water to Rome more than 2,000 years after its creation. Though it has undergoing several restorations over the centuries.

The extraordinary longevity of Rome’s aqueducts and other ancient structures can be attributed to the city’s near-miraculous concrete recipe. Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have found that Roman concrete possesses a unique ability to self-heal, thanks to the presence of lime clasts (small mineral chunks) and a technique known as “hot mixing,” where lime is mixed at extremely high temperatures. Today, scientists are exploring the secrets of this ancient material with the hope of applying Rome’s ancient wisdom to modern construction practices.

Another interesting fact of Rome’s historical water engineering prowess is that the city boasts more water fountains than any other city in the world. Although estimates suggest there may be as many as 3,000 fountains, many of them are no longer in operation.

If you want to know how Roman aqueducts work, and how incredible long they can be, check out this video. It is very good! It also explains how the aqueducts were not used for what you might think they were used for.

FDA Approves Drug That Targets Brain Cancer Gene Mutation

Daily Upsider on August 27, 2024

This month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a new drug for IDH-mutant low-grade glioma, a type of brain cancer. The drug, vorasidenib, is a targeted therapy that inhibits the IDH gene mutation, slowing cancer growth.

The IDH gene was first identified in 2008 by Dr. Bert Vogelstein and his team at Johns Hopkins, who mapped the genetic blueprint of brain cancer. This discovery revealed that IDH mutations are common in certain brain tumors, which had not been previously recognized.

Typically, treatment involves surgery, followed by radiation and chemotherapy. Vorasidenib may allow some patients to delay these additional treatments. According to Matthias Holdhoff, M.D., Ph.D., co-director of the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center brain tumor program, this drug could become a new standard for treating slow-growing IDH-mutant gliomas.

A phase 3 clinical trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that vorasidenib significantly improved progression-free survival for 331 patients with grade 2 IDH-mutant glioma, compared to a placebo. Vogelstein’s research also led to a new classification for gliomas, distinguishing between those with IDH mutations, which generally have better outcomes, and those without, such as glioblastoma, a more aggressive form of brain cancer.

About 80% of low-grade gliomas have IDH mutations. These tumors, which mostly affect younger adults, grow more slowly and are linked to longer survival rates compared to high-grade gliomas. Vogelstein notes that understanding diseases through research ultimately leads to better treatments.

The IDH discovery has also spurred further research into other brain cancers. Johns Hopkins University holds patents for the IDH discovery, licensed to Servier Laboratories, which funded the phase 3 trial. The university and its inventors, including Vogelstein, will receive royalties from this licensing agreement.