Lifeboat Foundation

WASHINGTON — Satellite manufacturer Terran Orbital has signed an agreement with French aerospace giant Safran to explore U.S.-based production of satellite propulsion systems, the companies announced June 23.

Under the agreement, Safran Electronics & Defense and Terran Orbital will investigate opportunities and prerequisites for the production of electric propulsion systems for satellites based on Safran’s PPSX00 plasma thruster.

The PPSX00 is a hall effect plasma thruster, recently introduced by Safran for the low Earth orbit satellite market.

The greatest hazard for humans on deep-space exploration missions is radiation. To protect astronauts venturing out beyond Earth’s protective magnetosphere and sustain a permanent presence on Moon and/or Mars, advanced passive radiation protection is highly sought after. Due to the complex nature of space radiation, there is likely no one-size-fits-all solution to this problem, which is further aggravated by up-mass restrictions. In search of innovative radiation-shields, biotechnology holds unique advantages such as suitability for in-situ resource utilization (ISRU), self-regeneration, and adaptability. Certain fungi thrive in high-radiation environments on Earth, such as the contamination radius of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. Analogous to photosynthesis, these organisms appear to perform radiosynthesis, using pigments known as melanin to convert gamma-radiation into chemical energy. It is hypothesized that these organisms can be employed as a radiation shield to protect other lifeforms. Here, growth of Cladosporium sphaerospermum and its capability to attenuate ionizing radiation, was studied aboard the International Space Station (ISS) over a time of 30 days, as an analog to habitation on the surface of Mars. At full maturity, radiation beneath a ≈ 1.7 mm thick lawn of the melanized radiotrophic fungus (180° protection radius) was 2.17±0.35% lower as compared to the negative control. Estimations based on linear attenuation coefficients indicated that a ~ 21 cm thick layer of this fungus could largely negate the annual dose-equivalent of the radiation environment on the surface of Mars, whereas only ~ 9 cm would be required with an equimolar mixture of melanin and Martian regolith. Compatible with ISRU, such composites are promising as a means to increase radiation shielding while reducing overall up-mass, as is compulsory for future Mars-missions.

The authors have declared no competing interest.

An investor claims he raised safety concerns to the CEO of OceanGate Expeditions but was met with reassurance.

According to Infosys, the company’s AI-first specialists and data strategists, who are responsible for delivering Infosys Topaz AI-first services, solutions, and platforms, will be part of shaping the curriculum of these courses. Their expertise will ensure that learners are equipped with future-ready skill sets.

Infosys further explains that it will provide certification in AI and Generative AI skills, which are crucial for securing jobs, through its Infosys Springboard Virtual Learning Platform. The certification program will offer a diverse range of courses covering various topics related to AI. These courses include an introductory course on AI and Generative AI, with a specific emphasis on deep learning and natural language processing. Additionally, there will be a masterclass on AI and the impact of Generative AI.

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Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide and considered one of the most environmentally driven diseases. The role of DNA methylation in response to the individual exposure for the development and progression of CVD is still poorly understood and a synthesis of the evidence is lacking.

A systematic review of articles examining measurements of DNA cytosine methylation in CVD was conducted in accordance with PRISMA (preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses) guidelines. The search yielded 5,563 articles from PubMed and CENTRAL databases. From 99 studies with a total of 87,827 individuals eligible for analysis, a database was created combining all CpG-, gene-and study-related information. It contains 74,580 unique CpG sites, of which 1,452 CpG sites were mentioned in ≥ 2, and 441 CpG sites in ≥ 3 publications. Two sites were referenced in ≥ 6 publications: cg01656216 (near ZNF438) related to vascular disease and epigenetic age, and cg03636183 (near F2RL3) related to coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, smoking and air pollution. Of 19,127 mapped genes, 5,807 were reported in ≥ 2 studies.