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- Secrets of drinking: ancient traces of alcohol and exotic viruses in ticks
Secrets of drinking: ancient traces of alcohol and exotic viruses in ticks
Russian scientists have achieved significant success in a wide variety of fields, from aircraft engineering to neuroscience. They have developed an innovative technology for laser processing of aircraft engines, which significantly increases their life, and also found a way to speed up recovery from spinal cord injuries. Meanwhile, experts from St. Petersburg‑New dangerous viruses have been identified in ticks in St. Petersburg, and experts abroad have tested NASA's Mars engine and found the oldest traces of alcohol. Read more about the most interesting science news of the week in the Izvestia collection.
Laser strikes will extend the life of aircraft engines
Russia has proposed a domestic technology for laser impact treatment of metal alloys. It allows you to form a protective layer that is five times thicker than when using traditional methods.
The method is based on the effect of powerful laser pulses through a layer of water on the surface of a part, which causes micro—explosions, the energy of which, directed deep into the material, creates compressive stresses in it. The new technology slows down the development of microcracks and increases the life of parts that are stressed due to rapid rotation, vibrations or temperature fluctuations.
The development was carried out by engineers of the Moscow Aviation Institute together with specialists from the Central Institute of Aviation Engine Engineering named after P.I. Baranov, the Scientific Research Institute of Technology and Organization of Engine Production, the Experimental Design Bureau named after A.M. Lyulka and UEC-Aviadvigatel.
"The method is applicable to a wide range of products: discs, shafts, gears, landing gear, airframe structural power elements, parts after repair — in fact, for everything that is reinforced with shot today," said Maxim Lyakhovetsky, project manager, Acting Head of the Research Department of the Department of Aircraft Engine Manufacturing Technology at MAI.
A way to speed up recovery from spinal cord injuries
Russian scientists have found a method that opens the way to the creation of fundamentally new drugs for the treatment of severe spinal cord injuries. Scientists from Sirius University of Science and Technology, together with colleagues from St. Petersburg State University and the Pavlov Institute of Physiology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, have discovered that disabling the TAAR5 receptor gene accelerates the recovery of motor functions after spinal cord injury. It is a protein that is activated by so—called trace amines, substances related to dopamine and serotonin.
The experiment compared mice of two lines: normal and mutant, with the artificially disabled TAAR5 gene. The scientists simulated spinal cord injury in animals, which mimicked the type of injury often found in humans. Within five weeks after the operation, specialists assessed the recovery of the grasping reflex, mobility of the joints of the hind limbs, as well as general motor activity and anxiety levels. The results showed that mice with TAAR5 disabled recovered faster.
Four exotic viruses dangerous for humans were found in ticks.
Specialists from the St. Petersburg Pasteur Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology have completed a large-scale study of viruses carried by ixodes ticks in the north-west of the Russian Federation. Genetic analysis of the samples revealed traces of almost three dozen microorganisms.
According to experts, the tick-borne encephalitis virus, as well as the Mukawa, Nuoming, Beijing nairvirus and Gakugsa virus viruses may pose a real threat to human health among them.
At the same time, the pathogenicity of many other detected infections remains insufficiently studied today. In addition, the samples contained the genetic sequences of four viruses previously unknown to science.
The institute notes that in the body of arthropods, the exchange of genome fragments between viruses is not excluded, which, according to researchers, theoretically can lead to the emergence of new infectious forms with different levels of contagion and severity of the course. The data obtained has been published in the scientific journal Scientific Reports.
"Our results represent the first high-precision image of a tick virus in northwestern Russia. They emphasize the importance of continuing virological surveillance in underrepresented biogeographic areas. These data contribute to the growing global viroma map and may contribute to the development of regional measures to combat vector—borne diseases," the authors of the work are quoted in the article.
NASA has tested a Martian engine
Specialists from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in Southern California have successfully tested a new type of electromagnetic engine designed to deliver manned expeditions to Mars.
It is a lithium magnetoplasmodynamic (MPD) accelerator. Unlike traditional ones, it uses strong electric currents and magnetic fields to accelerate plasma from lithium vapor. This technology allows you to generate significantly more thrust at high power levels compared to existing electrical systems.
"The successful completion of this test by our engine demonstrates real progress towards sending an American astronaut to the Red Planet. This is the first time in the United States that an electric propulsion system has operated at such a high power level, reaching 120 kW. We will continue to make strategic investments that will ensure this next giant leap," said NASA Director Jared Isaacman.
The oldest evidence of alcohol consumption
Scientists from the University of Warsaw have discovered chemical traces of fermented alcohol in ceramic vessels about 4,500 years old, found in northeastern Poland. These are substances that resemble beer or complex mixed drinks, sometimes compared to the so-called Scandinavian grog.
Chemical analysis revealed fermentation products — lactic, acetic and levulinic acids, as well as compounds characteristic of the activity of yeast and bacteria. Azelaic acid associated with cereals and vanillin were found in a number of samples, which may indicate grain processing, for example, malting, drying or heating.
"The vessels were probably used in ritual contexts: at funerals, at alliances, and during collective gatherings," the scientists explained.
According to scientists, it is of particular interest that during the period of vessel manufacture, the northeast of modern Poland was not a center of agriculture. Traces of active grain cultivation appear here much later. This suggests that the ingredients for the drinks could have come through trade links with more developed agricultural regions. Overall, this is one of the oldest finds of traces of alcoholic beverages in modern Europe.
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