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NASA, SpaceX launch US–European satellite to monitor Earth’s oceans

About the size of a full-size pickup truck, a newly launched satellite by NASA and its partners will provide ocean and atmospheric information to improve hurricane forecasts, help protect infrastructure, and benefit commercial activities, such as shipping.

The Sentinel-6B satellite lifted off aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base in central California at 9:21 p.m. PST on Nov. 16. Contact between the satellite and a ground station in northern Canada occurred about 1 hour and 30 minutes later at 10:54 p.m. All systems are functioning normally.

“Understanding tidal patterns down to the inch is critical in protecting how we use our oceans every day on Earth,” said Nicky Fox, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “Sentinal-6B will build upon the legacy of Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich by making sea level measurements that improve forecasts used by communities, businesses, and operations across the country. It also will support a safer reentry for our astronauts returning home, including crew from Artemis Moon missions.”

Hidden high-energy water reveals a new molecular force

Water trapped inside tiny molecular cavities behaves in a surprisingly energetic way, pushing outward like people crammed in an elevator. When a new molecule enters these narrow spaces, the confined water forces its way out—boosting the strength of the molecular bond that forms in its place. Researchers from KIT and Constructor University have now proven this effect both experimentally and theoretically, showing that these “highly energetic” water molecules can dramatically influence how other molecules interact.

Function of the Spine

Your spine is an important bone structure that supports your body and helps you walk, twist and move. Your spine is made up of vertebrae (bones), disks, joints, soft tissues, nerves and your spinal cord. Exercises can strengthen the core muscles that support your spine and prevent back injuries and pain.

Learn more about what your spine does and how this bone structure is important for your health.

Ultrasonic device dramatically speeds harvesting of water from the air

MIT engineers designed an ultrasonic system to “shake” water out of an atmospheric water harvester.

MIT researchers designed a device that quickly recovers drinking water from an atmospheric water harvesting material. The system uses ultrasonic waves to shake the water out of the material, recovering water in minutes.

Promising Effects of CAR T-Cell Therapy in Refractory Stiff Person Syndrome and a Hopeful Future for All Neuroautoimmunities

Via OPG_BOEx: Clinical translation of photoacoustic imaging using exogenous molecular contrast agents [Invited] https://bit.ly/4occZgi

A team from Rice University examines the current status and future potential of contrast-enhanced PAI in human applications.

In their results, the team proposed neuro-oncology as a novel application, effectively addressing the limitations of intraoperative fluorescence imaging.

Photoacoustic imaging (PAI) combines optical contrast with acoustic detection to enable high-resolution, molecular imaging at clinically relevant depths. This review outlines the current status and future potential of contrast-enhanced PAI in human applications. We begin by discussing regulatory considerations surrounding both imaging devices and exogenous contrast agents, highlighting safety concerns, lack of standardized validation protocols, and barriers to the approval of novel agents. To accelerate clinical adoption, many studies have focused on repurposing FDA-approved agents such as indocyanine green, methylene blue, and clofazimine, which offer favorable optical properties and known safety profiles. We then review clinical applications of contrast-enhanced PAI across organ systems. In lymphatic imaging, PAI enables noninvasive visualization of lymphatic vessels and sentinel lymph nodes. Prostate imaging benefits from improved tumor delineation, and vascular applications leverage PAI to assess oxygen saturation and vascular remodeling. In gastrointestinal and hepatic imaging, PAI supports functional assessment and lesion detection with enhanced contrast. Emerging applications in neuro-oncology demonstrate the potential of PAI for intraoperative guidance and brain tumor imaging. Compared to fluorescence imaging, PAI provides deeper penetration and quantifiable contrast. Studies using both approved and investigational agents, including gold nanorods and targeted dye conjugates, highlight advances in imaging tumor margins. Progress in transcranial PAI and molecular probe design continues to broaden its capabilities. Together, these developments underscore the expanding clinical utility of contrast-enhanced PAI for real-time, functional, and molecular imaging.

Isolated Cervical Radiculopathy as an Unusual Presentation of Vertebral Artery Dissection

Vertebral artery dissection may present as an isolated cervical radiculopathy sparing the central nervous system—an unusual presentation requiring differentiation from Parsonage-Turner syndrome, thoracic outlet syndrome, and other etiologies of cervical radiculopathy.

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