What Dinosaurs Actually Sounded Like

Daily Upsider on March 18, 2024

We have all watched movies with terrifying dinosaurs in them. (unless you don’t like dinosaur movies…)

The loud roar of the T.Rex from the Jurassic Park movies have become very iconic and show up in our popular media all the time. But is that actually what they sounded like?

While it is impossible to get an exact replica of how a T.Rex would sound, researchers have a pretty good idea.

If you are just interested in the possible sound the T.Rex produced, just skip to the 3:43 minute mark on the video. If you want to know how scientist go about approximating these sounds, then I would recommend starting from the beginning of the video.

Chernobyl Worms Could Help in Human Cancer Research

Daily Upsider on March 18, 2024

The 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster left the surrounding area severely radioactive. Interestingly, researchers have recently found worms that thrive in these conditions, which could be pivotal for cancer research.

Despite human evacuation, various plants and animals thrived in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, prompting researchers to investigate the impact of chronic radiation on DNA.

A study led by New York University reveals that microscopic worms in Chernobyl today have not suffered genome damage from chronic radiation, suggesting exceptional resilience. This finding may shed light on why some individuals with a genetic predisposition to cancer develop the disease, while others do not.

In a 2019 expedition to the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, a team, including NYU’s Sophia Tintori and Professor Matthew Rockman, gathered these worms across different radiation exposure levels. Using Geiger counters to measure radiation and wearing protective gear, the researchers’ analysis in both Ukrainian and NYU labs revealed the worms’ surprising resistance to radiation.

Focusing on the Oscheius tipulae species, the study unearthed that these worms’ resilience to DNA damage did not correlate with the radiation levels in their environment, challenging previous assumptions about the impact of radiation on evolutionary processes. These findings suggest that the Chernobyl worms haven’t evolved specifically to withstand radiation. The study offers insights into DNA repair variability, which could further our understanding of human cancer susceptibility.

Despite the lack of a genetic signature indicating radiation damage, researchers designed a system to assess how different worm populations grew and responded to various DNA damage types. Surprisingly, worm lineages’ tolerance to DNA damage did not correlate with radiation levels at collection sites.

Contrary to expectations, the study suggests that worms in Chernobyl are not inherently more radiation-tolerant, and the radioactive landscape did not force them to evolve. These findings provide insights into variations in DNA repair and offer potential applications for understanding natural variation in humans.

Sophia Tintori confirmed the study’s implications for cancer research “Now that we know which strains of O. tipulae are more sensitive or more tolerant to DNA damage, we can use these strains to study why different individuals are more likely than others to suffer the effects of carcinogens,”

Advancing Herbicide Removal from Groundwater

Daily Upsider on March 17, 2024

Scientists, led by a chemistry researcher from Oregon State University, have made progress in tackling the global problem of herbicide contamination in groundwater. Kyriakos Stylianou, from the OSU College of Science, led an international team that discovered a metal-organic framework (MOF) called Sc-TBAPy, capable of efficiently removing and breaking down the widely used herbicide glyphosate.

In simple terms, Sc-TBAPy is a material developed in collaboration with Tiangong University in China. It uses scandium (Sc) and a carboxylate linker, TBAPy. In tests, Sc-TBAPy showed the ability to completely eliminate glyphosate in water after just five minutes of exposure to light. Stylianou emphasized that Sc-TBAPy worked faster and more efficiently compared to other similar materials. Importantly, it broke down glyphosate without creating harmful acids, unlike its counterparts.

The research, published in the scientific journal Nature Communications, focuses on MOFs, which are materials that use photocatalysis to break down contaminants in water. MOFs are composed of metal ions and organic molecules, forming crystalline and porous structures with adjustable properties.

Glyphosate, a widely used herbicide for the past 50 years, has raised environmental concerns due to its persistence and potential health effects on various organisms, including humans.

A New Realm of Medical Possibilities

Daily Upsider on March 17, 2024

Over twenty years ago, Caroline Gargett, a pioneering biologist, embarked on a quest to uncover the presence of stem cells within the endometrium, the inner lining of the uterus, a venture that has since opened up a new realm of medical possibilities.

Gargett’s hypothesis was driven by the endometrium’s unique ability to regenerate every month, a trait that suggested the presence of stem cells.

Adult stem cells have been identified in other regenerating tissues, but their presence in the endometrium had remained elusive until Gargett’s work. Her findings not only confirmed the existence of these cells but also potentially the answer to a wide number of health conditions.

Gargett’s research at Monash University and the Hudson Institute of Medical Research in Australia involved rigorous testing to prove these were indeed multipotent stem cells, capable of transforming into various cells types including those found in bone, fat, and even heart muscle.

Around the same time, independent teams discovered that some of these versatile endometrial stromal mesenchymal stem cells could also be harvested from menstrual blood, a method less invasive than surgical biopsy. This finding was significant, as it offered a simpler way to access these valuable cells.

This breakthrough has significant implications for regenerative medicine, offering a pathway to repairing damaged tissues and treating a spectrum of diseases far beyond the realm of gynecological conditions.

What can it do?
The potential therapeutic applications of menstrual stem cells extend into areas such as diabetes management, where research in animal models has demonstrated their capability to stimulate the regeneration of insulin-producing cells, thereby improving blood sugar control. They have also shown potential in improving fertility and repairing damaged endometrium. Furthermore, their role in wound healing has been explored, with promising results indicating that stem cells can significantly enhance the healing process.

It also offers hope for treating conditions like endometriosis, a painful condition that affects roughly 190 million women and girls worldwide. Research has shown that stem cells from menstrual blood exhibit different characteristics in women with endometriosis, paving the way for much needed none invasive diagnosis and treatment possibilities.

Despite their potential, menstrual stem cells and their applications in disease treatment remain a relatively untapped area of research, pointing to a new frontier in regenerative medicine and women’s health.

If this was interesting to you, I would highly recommend checking out this article which goes into more detail about what these stem cells can do and how it was all discovered.

The First Man to Visit Every Country and Travel to Space

Daily Upsider on March 15, 2024

As a child, Jim Kitchen harbored the dream of venturing into space. During his college years in the 1980s, he even dabbled in selling low-orbit space travel, an idea that was met with skepticism and jest by his peers. Kitchen’s commitment to his celestial ambition was so strong that he included a unique clause in his prenuptial agreement, ensuring he could seize any opportunity to travel to space.

However, opportunities to go to space were pretty rare, so Kitchen turned to traveling to all 193 countries. The inception of Kitchen’s global adventures stemmed from a youthful enthusiasm for travel, evolving from collecting passport stamps to a deeper passion. “I just transitioned from a collector to a connector,” he said. “I fell in love with the idea and the notion of meeting people.”

It was only about a decade or so ago that Kitchen realized the full scope of his travels, and set a goal to visit every U.N. recognized country. He achieved this milestone in 2019 with a visit to Syria, just before the COVID-19 pandemic temporarily halted global travel. Reaching this milestone was a “bittersweet” experience for Kitchen, propelling him toward fulfilling his ultimate dream of space.

Kitchen participated in several zero gravity flights to mimic the sensations of space, but he wanted to do the real deal.

On March 31, Kitchen’s childhood aspiration was fulfilled as he embarked on a Blue Origin flight into the cosmos. At 57, the North Carolina entrepreneur not only realized his own dream but also set a remarkable record. By reaching orbit, he became the first individual to have visited every one of the 193 countries recognized by the United Nations and to have journeyed into space.

Reflecting on his journey before boarding on his flight, Kitchen told Nice News, “Some of my friends, some of whom will be at the launch, they ridiculed me mercilessly for selling space travel. And to be able to actually accomplish that dream 40 years later … it’s just mind-numbing.”

“Having walked the planet, I just want to see it from space. I just want to see this blue, beautiful planet of ours, the eternal darkness of space, I want to take in that whole spectacle,” he expressed before the flight. “Then, I think I’m going to float upside down and take it all in upside down.”