SCIENCE AND TECH CLIPS

Nose cells fix knee cartilage in human trial

Building on the fact that this experiment as already worked in goats, and for the first time the experiment is venturing into uncharted waters, At the University of Basel for the first time researchers have taken the cells, called chondrocytes, from the noses of 10 patients with damaged knee joints and grown them into cartilage grafts and then these repair grafts were implanted surgically into the patient’s knee joints.

Nine patients have seen improvements in knee function, quality of life and reduction in the amount of pain, MRI scans showed that the grafts looked like normal hyaline cartilage, These repair patches were then surgically implanted into the patients' knee joints. The hard-to-replicate material that coats the tip of bones but more tests need to be made to determine if the technique is truly ready for prime time.

Trouble around Mars and Jupiter

And in another epic twist The Mars lander, for those of you who don’t know is “Schiaparelli”, ESA’s (European Space Agency) new Space craft that was supposed to land on the Planet Mars, Communications cut out just a few moments before the spacecraft was supposed to make a gentle, parachute-assisted propulsive landing, and now nobody knows for sure what happened. It’s very likely that the parachute deployed too early, which would completely change the descent trajectory.

Not to think that NASA which you should know, does not have its own problem with their own spacecraft “Juno” orbiter is having trouble with its propulsion system. Mission scientists don’t really know why yet, but it’s enough of a problem that they delayed Juno’s next orbital burn by 53 days: one circuit around Jupiter. Hopefully that will be enough time to diagnose and solve whatever wrong. If it is, Juno will perform a “period reduction maneuver” to shorten and tighten its orbit down to 14 days. In the meantime, Juno will get another chance to fix all its senses on Jupiter. Its next close approach will be on December 11.