Bioengineered hybrid muscle fiber for regenerative medicine

Muscle constitutes the largest organ in humans, accounting for 40% of body mass, and it plays an essential role in maintaining life. Muscle tissue is notable for its unique ability for spontaneous regeneration. However, in serious injuries such as those sustained in car accidents or tumor resection which results in a volumetric muscle loss (VML), the muscle's ability to recover is greatly diminished. Currently, VML treatments comprise surgical interventions with autologous muscle flaps or grafts accompanied by physical therapy. However, surgical procedures often lead to reduced muscular function, and in some cases result in a complete graft failure. Thus, there is a demand for additional therapeutic options to improve muscle loss recovery.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-02-bioengineered-hybrid-muscle-fiber-regenerative.html

NASA's Mars helicopter reports in

Mission controllers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California have received the first status report from the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter, which landed Feb. 18, 2021, at Jezero Crater attached to the belly of the agency's Mars 2020 Perseverance rover. The downlink, which arrived at 3:30 p.m. PST (6:30 p.m. EST) via a connection through the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, indicates that both the helicopter, which will remain attached to the rover for 30 to 60 days, and its base station (an electrical box on the rover that stores and routes communications between the rotorcraft and Earth) are operating as expected.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-02-nasa-mars-helicopter.html

Privacy faces risks in tech-infused post-COVID workplace

People returning to work following the long pandemic will find an array of tech-infused gadgetry to improve workplace safety but which could pose risks for long-term personal and medical privacy.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-02-privacy-tech-infused-post-covid-workplace.html

Warmer winters threaten Canada's seasonal ice roads

Canadian Gilbert Cardin worries about the future of the ice road he maintains every winter on a frozen river west of Montreal.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-02-warmer-winters-threaten-canada-seasonal.html

Power failure: How a winter storm pushed Texas into crisis

Two days before the storm began, Houston's chief elected official warned her constituents to prepare as they would for a major hurricane. Many took heed: Texans who could stocked up on food and water, while nonprofits and government agencies set out to help those who couldn't.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-02-power-failure-winter-storm-texas.html

Frozen pipes, electric woes remain as cold snap eases grip

Higher temperatures spread across the southern United States on Saturday, bringing relief to a winter-weary region that faces a challenging clean-up and expensive repairs from days of extreme cold and widespread power outages.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-02-frozen-pipes-electric-woes-cold.html

Italy taps German archaeologist to oversee Pompeii ruins

A German-born archaeologist has been chosen to be the next director of Pompeii, which is still revealing its ancient mysteries centuries after a volcanic eruption destroyed the Roman city and is one of Italy's most popular tourist sites.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-02-italy-german-archaeologist-oversee-pompeii.html

Kroger is latest victim of third-party software data breach

Kroger Co. says it was among the multiple victims of a data breach involving a third-party vendor's file-transfer service and is notifying potentially impacted customers, offering them free credit monitoring.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-02-kroger-latest-victim-third-party-software.html

Israel shuts Mediterranean shore after oil devastates coast

Israel closed all its Mediterranean beaches until further notice on Sunday, days after an offshore oil spill deposited an estimated dozens of tons of tar across more than 100 miles of coastline in what officials are calling one of the country's worst ecological disasters.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-02-israel-mediterranean-shore-oil-devastates.html

Space station launch honors 'Hidden Figures' mathematician

A space station supply ship named after the Black NASA mathematician featured in the movie "Hidden Figures" rocketed into orbit Saturday, the 59th anniversary of John Glenn's historic launch.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-02-space-station-honors-hidden-figures.html