Single drop of dried blood can reveal athlete doping | Futurity (01:39) 

• A new method developed by researchers at the University of Copenhagen uses blood droplets to easily and effectively detect athletes who have taken performance-enhancing drugs.
  • Approval from the World Anti-Doping Agency and could be tested at the Tokyo Olympics.

• In 2017, a number of researchers had a good idea for making it easier and more effective to find drug cheats using a small prick in the finger and just a few droplets of blood.
  • Reason: studies show that considerably more athletes use performance-enhancing drugs than get caught

• Sara Amalie Solheim who is among the researchers behind the idea discusses the method:
  • “The method involves a prick of an athlete’s finger or upper arm using a needle and a quick collection of a few droplets of blood on a piece of filter paper. The dried blood droplets are then analyzed for doping substances in a laboratory. The method is smart because it is faster, less painful, and less intimidating than traditional blood and urine tests.”

• In the study, researchers showcased the method is accurate detecting anabolic steroids, including testosterone.
  • Often used for weightlifting and strength lifting competitions.

• An additional benefit is athletes, doping control officers, and laboratory staff prefer the blood drop method to conventional testing methods

• Final important benefit for sports in the future: 
  • It is possible to test more athletes in a short period of time. 
  • Instead of 10 athletes a day, 100 can now be tested due to speed in testing and analyzing. 

Acoustic Tweezers Can Pick Objects Up With Sound Waves – Without Any Physical Contact | SciTechDaily (07:50)

• Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have developed a new technology which allows non-contact manipulation of small objects using sound waves.

• They used a hemispherical array of ultrasound transducers to generate 3D acoustic fields which trapped and lifted a small ball from a reflective surface. 
  • Called acoustic trapping

• Sound waves may be applied to a wider range of object sizes and materials, so much so that successful manipulation is possible for millimeter-sized particles.
  • This is compared to optical trapping which uses a highly focused laser beam to hold and move microscopic objects. 

• The researchers method was not as complex as one would expect:
  • They split the transducer array into manageable blocks and use an inverse filter that finds the best phase and amplitude to make a single trap.

• Their findings are supported by simulations of the 3D acoustic fields that are created by the arrays, and of course, by their experiments with a polystyrene ball.
  • Check out the video, it is like magic!

• Only issue is, according to their study, the method cannot pick up the ball consistently.

•  In the study the researchers provide an explanation and their plans moving forwards:
  • “When we move a particle, it sometimes scatters away. In future studies, the robustness of the proposed method will be improved for practical use of non-contact pick-up.” 

Masten Space Systems to develop a GPS-like network for the moon | TechCrunch (12:32)

• Like the headline says, ​​Masten Space Systems, a California startup aiming to send a lander to the moon in 2023, will develop a lunar navigation and positioning system.
  • Prototype developed as part of a contract awarded through the Air Force Research Laboratory’s AFWERX program.

• Up until this point, spacecraft heading to the moon must carry equipment onboard to detect hazards and assist with navigation.

• But now with the cost of going to space reduced, many private companies and national space divisions have set their sights on the moon.

•  Matthew Kuhns, VP of R&D at Masten, explains the importance of this Lunar GPS:
  • “Unlike Earth, the moon isn’t equipped with GPS so lunar spacecraft and orbital assets are essentially operating in the dark … By establishing a shared navigation network on the moon, we can lower spacecraft costs by millions of dollars, increase payload capacity and improve landing accuracy near the most resource-rich sites on the moon.”

• Mission Concept:
  • Their spacecraft will deploy position, navigation and timing (PNT) beacons onto the lunar surface.
  • Enabling a surface-based network that broadcasts a radio signal.
  • Resulting in spacecrafts to wirelessly connect for navigation, timing and location tracking.

• Masten completed Phase 1 (conceptual design), but Phase 2 is where the engineering begins. 
  • The beacons must be able to withstand harsh lunar conditions for long periods of time.
  • Partnering with defense and technology company Leidos to build shock-proof beacon enclosures.
  • Aims to complete phase in 2023.

• In the press release, Masten CEO, Sean Mahoney discusses the position the company is in:
  • “As one of the first commercial companies sending a lunar lander to the Moon, we’re in a unique position to develop and deploy a shared navigation system that can support other government and commercial missions and enable a thriving lunar ecosystem … We are literally blazing the trail with this effort, creating the pathway for regular, ongoing, and reliable access to the Moon.”

Hubble Finds First Evidence of Water Vapor on Jupiter’s Largest Moon | Interesting Engineering (18:51)

• NASA announced this past Monday, they have discovered the first-ever evidence of water vapor in the atmosphere of Jupiter’s moon Ganymede
  • The largest moon in the solar system
  • Fun Fact:  Discovered by Galileo on Jan. 7, 1610.

• Ganymede holds more water than all of the Earth’s oceans combined, according to NASA: it is covered in an icy crust and scientists believe it may have a liquid ocean 100 miles (161 km) beneath its surface.

• In this new exciting discovery, the scientists were able to find evidence of water vapor, which is the result of ice sublimating from the moon’s surface.
  • NASA had UV images of Ganymede for last 2 decades 
  • Noticed the images didn’t completely match presences of only Oxygen
  • Scientists went back to analyze the last two decades of data and confirmed the occurrence of water vapor.  
  • Looked at the UV images and concluded that Ganymede’s surface temperature varies extremely throughout the day. 
    •  At noon near its equator, the surface becomes sufficiently warm enough to release small amounts of water molecules.

• Lorenz Roth of the KTH Royal Institute of Technology, who led the team, explained in a press release:
  • “So far only the molecular oxygen had been observed … This is produced when charged particles erode the ice surface. The water vapor that we measured now originates from ice sublimation caused by the thermal escape of water vapor from warm icy regions.”

• Indication that oxygen AND water vapor are coming from the subsurface ocean.

• These findings contribute to scientists’ knowledge of Ganymede’s atmosphere and add to the excitement surrounding ESA’s planned JUICE (JUpiter ICy moons Explorer) mission.
  • Scheduled to launch in 2022 and reach Jupiter in 2029
  • Spend at least three years making detailed observations of the giant gaseous planet Jupiter and three of its largest moons, Ganymede, Callisto and Europa

Scientists Bred Healthy Mice Using Artificial Eggs and Ovaries Made From Stem Cells | Singularity Hub (25:03)

• For the first time, scientists were able to grow functional egg cells completely outside the (mouse) body.

• The experiment is the brainchild of Dr. Katsuhiko Hayashi of Kyushu University, who led the pursuit of making sperm and eggs without the constraints of a living body.

• Stem cells can be rapidly created from skin or other cells, meaning that they are an endless source of raw material to make sperm and egg cells.

• If this becomes fully functional:
  • The basic components of reproduction can merge into a fertilized egg inside a test tube
  • Transplanted into a surrogate
  • Birth a new generation without ever seeing testes or ovaries.

• Researchers can use these lab-grown models to better understand how reproductive cells form and mature. Additionally will provide information as to how the process can falter. 

• For couples struggling to conceive, or people who’ve lost reproductive function due to diseases like cancer, IVG would offer a new route towards pregnancy.
  • In vitro gametogenesis (IVG)

• There are far more hurdles to clear before IVG can be tested in humans.
  • Probably will ignite debates as to the limits of how IVG should be tested and used in humans 

A magnetic helmet shrunk a deadly tumor in world-first test | Engadget (31:04)

• As part of the latest neurological breakthrough, researchers used a helmet that generates a magnetic field to shrink a deadly tumor by a third. 

• Patient who utilized the device passed away from an unrelated injury about a month into the treatment, but scientists were allowed to autopsy the brain.

• “The family’s generous agreement to allow an autopsy after their loved ones’ untimely death made an invaluable contribution to the further study and development of this potentially powerful therapy, ” said David S. Baskin, co-author of the paper.

• The autopsy of his brain showed that the procedure had removed 31 percent of the tumor mass in a short time.
  • 1st noninvasive therapy for an aggressive form of brain cancer known as glioblastoma (GPM)
  • Glioblastoma is the deadliest of brain cancers in adults, nearly always fatal, with a life expectancy of a few months to two years. 

• The helmet, which received FDA approval for compassionate use treatment, features three rotating magnets connected to a microprocessor-based electronic controller operated by a rechargeable battery.
  • Patient wore the device for five weeks at a clinic and then at home
  • Two hours initially and then ramped up to a maximum of six hours per day

• The inventors of the device, Houston Methodist Neurological Institute, claim it could one day help treat brain cancer without radiation or chemotherapy. 
  • David Baskin provides a wonderful image for the future of this technology:
    • “Imagine treating brain cancer without radiation therapy or chemotherapy … Our results in the laboratory and with this patient open a new world of non-invasive and nontoxic therapy for brain cancer, with many exciting possibilities for the future.”

• The study provides the next steps for the device: 
  • “The present report has the limitation of the treatment being conducted in only a single patient so far. Extending it to more patients in research studies would provide additional information regarding safety and efficacy.”