Man-made ligament could replace ruptured ACLs

An illustration depicting a ruptured ACL (Image: Shutterstock)

If you follow sports at all, then you've probably heard about athletes rupturing their ACL, or anterior cruciate ligament. It connects the femur to the tibia, and once it breaks, it's incapable of healing. Treatment most often involves reconstructing the ACL using grafts from the patellar tendon, which connects the patella (aka the kneecap) to the tibia – although this can present problems of its own. Now, scientists at Northwestern University in Illinois are creating a man-made replacement ACL, which could make treatment much more effective.

According to professor of biomedical engineering Guillermo Ameer, who is leading the project, the use of patellar tendon grafts often results in knee discomfort that never goes away. This isn't surprising, as the procedure involves removing part of the existing patellar tendon to take the place of the ACL – in fact, what's left of the patellar tendon can subsequently end up rupturing, too.

That's where his team's engineered ACL comes in. Its main body is made from braided polyester fibers, with a tensile strength similar to that of the natural ligament. At either end of it, however, those fibers are blended into a mixture of a porous antioxidant biomaterial developed previously in his lab, and hydroxyapatite (a form of calcium) nanocrystals – these occur naturally in bones and teeth.

In rabbit studies, holes were drilled in the femur and tibia, in order to receive each end of the artificial ACL. After the ends had been inserted and anchored in place, the animals' surrounding bone and tissue cells began migrating into the pores of the biomaterial/nanocrystal mix. It is hoped that given time, this could result in the ends of the ACL being completely incorporated into the femur and tibia.

"The engineered ligament is biocompatible and can stabilize the knee, allowing the animal to function," said Ameer. "Most importantly, we may have found a way to integrate an artificial ligament with native bone."

More studies will be required before human trials can begin. A paper on the research was recently published in the Journal of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine.

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Samsung to show curved All-in-One and its thinnest laptop yet at CES

Samsung will show two new ATIV line products at CES 2015

Samsung has unveiled two new systems that will be on show at CES next week. There’s a focus on displays, with a curved screen on the company’s new All-in-One and a pixel-dense LED panel on the ATIV Book 9 thin-and-light laptop. Both systems hit a high-end price point and are set for release in Q1 2015.

Samsung has been pushing curved displays in multiple spaces, whether it be phablets, smartwatches, TVs or monitors (they even make Curved Soundbars), but it’s adding another category to its list with the ATIV One 7 Curved All-in-One. The system offers a curved 1,920 x 1,080 display with 178-degree viewing angles and 300 nits of brightness.

The PC is powered by an Intel Core i5 processor with 8 GB RAM and 1 TB storage. There are two 10 W stereo speakers on board, and there’s Bluetooth Music Play 3.0 tech included, meaning you can play music from a smartphone or tablet even when the machine itself is switched off.

The company’s other big pre-CES reveal comes in the form of the new ATIV Book 9. Not only does the new laptop feature a low-powered Intel Core M chip, but it’s also packing ultra-sharp 2,560 x 1,600 resolution.

That’s the same pixel count as on the current 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display, but over just 12.2-inches, giving it 247 pixels per inch (PPI) over the Apple machine’s 227 PPI. The panel features 350 nits of brightness as standard, but offers an "Outside Mode" that boosts it up to 700 nits.

There’s a choice between 128 GB and 256 GB SSD storage and 4 GB or 8 GB RAM. That low-powered yet capable Core M processor allows for 10.5 hours on a single charge, and the new machine is just 0.46-inches (11.7 mm) thick and weighs in at 2.09 lbs (0.95 kg).

Samsung has doubled-down on security features with the ATIV Book 9, allowing users to log in by drawing a pattern on the touchpad – similar to the pattern lock feature on Android smartphones. Users can also hit F10 to shield onscreen content from unwanted onlookers, a feature that’s likely to prove popular for business use (and perhaps porn addicts).

The ATIV One 7 Curved All-in-One will retail for US$1,300, while the ATIV Book 9 falls between $1,200 and $1,400 depending on choice of configuration. Both systems are set to ship in Q1 2015 and will be on show at CES 2015, which kicks off this Sunday in Las Vegas.

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Panasonic’s new technology purifies water with sunlight and photocatalysts

Panasonic is using UV light and photocatalysts to purify water

Drinking clean water is something that many people in the world can't take for granted, as they rely on polluted sources and often have no access to purification systems. In response to that problem, Panasonic is developing a new technology that looks to the sun to clean water extracted from the ground. The company recently presented a system that uses sunlight and photocatalysts to purify polluted water at a high reaction rate, to improve access to clean water where it's needed.

The breakthrough is in the new system’s ability to bind titanium dioxide (TiO2), a photocatalyst that reacts under ultraviolet light. One of the difficulties associated with TiO2 is that it is difficult to collect once dispersed in water, since it comes in super fine particles. Previous methods of binding it to larger matter have already been used, but they suffered a loss of active site surface area. Panasonic has found a way to bind the TiO2 to another particle, zeolite (a commercial adsorbent and catalyst), which solves that problem by enabling photocatalysts to maintain their active site. And, the method requires no binder chemicals because the two particles are bound together by electrostatic force.

When the novel photocatalytic particles are stirred, TiO2 is released from the zeolite and dispersed throughout the water. As a result, reaction speed is much faster than other methods of fixing TiO2 on the surface of substrates, and a larger volume of water can be processed in a short amount of time. If the water is left still, it will cause TiO2 to bind to zeolite again, making it easy to separate and recover the photocatalysts from the water so they can be used again later.

The technology was recently unveiled at Tokyo’s Eco Products Fair. Panasonic is working with a number of institutions in India to test the product and its capabilities. The company says around 70 percent of the population of India relies on ground water, which is exposed to different types of pollution, from agrochemical residues to metals from leather tanneries.

The idea is to create a small-scale version of this purification system, a company representative revealed during the event.

Alternative solutions are being sought in other parts of the world as well, where similar water-related problems occur.

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Samsung Gear VR vs. Oculus Rift DK2

Gizmag compares the features and specs of the consumer-friendly Gear VR and developers-only Oculus Rift DK2

In our product comparisons, we line up consumer gear and do our best to help you make up your mind ... but this one is a little different. The Oculus Rift Development Kit 2 (DK2) isn't a consumer product, but there could be value in seeing how the Samsung Gear VR, a virtual reality headset that is a consumer product, measures up with it. Read on for Gizmag's features and specs comparison.

Consumer product

In case we didn't hammer the point home hard enough yet, the Oculus Rift DK2 isn't meant for consumers (since it's made for developers, you can't even do basic things like return it if you aren't happy with it). And while the Gear VR is being sold to the general public, it earned that asterisk, as Samsung is branding it as an "Innovator Edition" for early adopters and (it too) developers.

Modern virtual reality is still laying down its roots, hence all the developer-focused gear we're seeing here. But it's also one of the most exciting new technologies we've tried in some time, due to its incredibly immersive nature. It sounds cliché, but you really do have to try it yourself to get it.

Software

If you're Samsung, and you want to get into VR on the ground floor, who do you turn to? You turn to Oculus VR, that's who. The young company (now owned by Facebook) provides the software for the Gear VR, as well as the SDK for the Rift development kit.

Host device

Neither headset is a standalone device, though the Gear VR looks like one. You'll need to slide a Galaxy Note 4 inside of it, to provide its screen, processing and ... well, pretty much everything but its lenses.

The Oculus Rift DK2 (and the upcoming consumer version) instead connects to a PC, opening the door to more advanced games.

Wireless

On the other hand, relying on a smartphone gives the Gear VR the advantage of being wireless. The Oculus Rift is wired and tethered to the PC.

Connections

Want some more specifics on that connection? Okay then, the Note 4 slides into a micro USB nub in the Gear VR headset, while the Rift connects via USB and HDMI (or DVI-D) cables.

Overheating

This is a big disadvantage for the Gear VR. VR games put a lot of strain on the Note 4, and it heats up pretty quickly – often going into underclocked (lower performance) mode after just 20 minutes or so.

We have some tips on delaying the Gear's overheating (or you could just put it down and take a 5 minute break every 20 minutes or so), but it's going to be a regular consideration when using the headset. If you fancy long, uninterrupted VR gaming sessions, then you might want to wait for the consumer Oculus Rift.

App sources

The ways that you get apps on each platform correspond with their mobile vs. desktop natures. Like mobile devices in general, the Gear VR gets apps through one store (in this case, the Oculus Home app on the Note 4). And like PCs in general, the Rift development kit can run any compatible app you install on your PC.

Field of view

The DK2 has a slightly wider field of view than the Gear VR.

Display size

The displays inside the headsets each measure 5.7 inches diagonally. Of course the Gear VR uses the Galaxy Note's screen, but in a way the Rift does too: it has a Galaxy Note 3's screen sitting inside.

Display resolution (per eye)

Because of that Note 3 screen in the DK2, it's noticeably less sharp, with 1080p overall resolution (or 960 x 1080 per eye). If we had to bet, we'd put our money on the first consumer version of the Oculus Rift having a Quad HD Note 4 screen inside.

Display type

Both displays use AMOLED technology, with deep blacks and rich colors.

Positional tracking

Just to avoid any confusion, both headsets respond to your head movement: turn your head all the way around, and you'll see everything in your 360-degree environment (it wouldn't really be virtual reality if you couldn't, would it?).

But the Oculus Rift adds an extra dimension. It includes a tiny camera that you can set near your PC or monitor, which tracks when you move forward or backward. This lets you "lean in" to zoom in on parts of your virtual environment.

The Gear VR only tracks your head's rotation, not leaning.

Latency

Latency describes how quickly the headset can respond to head movements (older Oculus Rift prototypes would get blurry when you moved your head quickly). Both of these devices, though, are capable of very clear <20 ms latency.

Adjustable focus

Both headsets have built-in wheels that let you adjust the focus, to make your virtual environment look as clear as possible for your eyes. The Rift includes two separate pairs of lenses: one for normal or slightly near-sighted users, another for more near-sighted folks.

Glasses underneath

Many people can get away with wearing glasses underneath the Oculus Rift DK2. You can't wear glasses with the Gear VR, but its adjustable focus range is wide enough that most people should have no problem finding a clear setting without using any prescription lenses.

Built-in controls

The Gear VR has a trackpad, back button and volume controls on its right side. With the Oculus development kit, you'll need to use your PC or an accessory.

For both headsets, you'll want to use a controller for any serious gaming. Any controller that works with your PC should work with the Rift, while many Android-compatible Bluetooth controllers will work just fine with the Gear.

Speaker

The Gear VR headset itself doesn't have any speakers, but if you aren't wearing headphones, you'll hear audio played through the Note 4. For the best experience, though, you'll want to plug in some headphones or earbuds.

Release date

The biggest reason that the Rift lags behind the Gear in display resolution is that it's an older product. Oculus still hasn't announced a launch date for the consumer Oculus Rift, but many believe that will happen sometime this year.

Price

At US$200, the Gear VR is cheaper, but of course you'll need to have a Note 4 (typically $700 full retail, $300 on-contract) to use with it. And, in case we didn't already stress it enough, the Oculus Rift DK2's pricing is mostly irrelevant to anyone that isn't a developer. At most, maybe it could be hinting at what the consumer version will eventually cost.

For more, you can read our full review of the Gear VR, and our hands-on impressions of the Oculus Rift Crystal Cove prototype (which the DK2 is largely based on).

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NASA working to fix Opportunity's memory

Artist's concept of the Opportunity rover (Image: NASA)

NASA's Opportunity rover landed on Mars in 2004 and its 90-day mission has now lasted almost 11 years. Unfortunately, its age is beginning to show with the unmanned robotic explorer beginning to display signs of memory loss. Mission control at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California, reports that Opportunity's computers have been resetting as its flash memory banks suffer fits of "amnesia," which engineers back on Earth are trying to repair.

Opportunity may be an extremely sophisticated piece of rolling scientific hardware, and it may be functioning a decade beyond its specifications, but its "brain" is still a computer relying on much the same components as any PC circa 2003. As anyone who uses computers on a regular basis knows, these components have a limited service life, which is why junk drawers inevitably fill up with dead tech. Worse, the Martian environment is extremely hostile to electronics, and microelectronics especially, because the incredibly dry, dusty climate generates static electric charges, and the thin atmosphere and almost non-existent magnetic field lets in dangerous levels of cosmic radiation.

Whether due to time or radiation, NASA says that Opportunity is now suffering from bouts of computer senility. Like most computers, the rover's uses a combination of volatile Random Access Memory (RAM), and a non-volatile memory – in this case, a set of seven flash memory banks. The latter are especially important because Opportunity is solar powered. This means that it can't spare the power to keep the RAM operating at night because the batteries are needed to keep the electronics warm, so data collected during the day is stored in the flash memory until it can be transmitted to Earth.

This arrangement has worked fine until now, but in recent weeks the flash memory has refused from time to time to record new data, causing the computers to reset like a cranky tablet. To prevent this from happening again and to avoid lost data, mission control tried re-formatting the flash memory, but with little success, so in early December it ordered Opportunity to carry out a more extensive repair, including using the RAM to collect data and transmitting it to Earth before sunset. However, the space agency says that the main problem has been located in one of the seven flash banks, which NASA plans to isolate.

"The mission can continue without storing data to flash memory, and instead store data in volatile RAM," says Mars Exploration Rover Project Manager John Callas of JPL. "While we're operating Opportunity in that mode, we are also working on an approach to make the flash memory usable again. We will be sure to give this approach exhaustive reviews before implementing those changes on the rover."

Launched on July 7, 2003, Opportunity is the twin of the now defunct Spirit rover. It landed on January 25, 2004, three weeks after Spirit, in the Meridiani Planum region of Mars for a mission scheduled to last 90 Martian days, but ten years later, it's still going strong. It continues to study Martian soil and provide surface calibration for orbital observations by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, and has traversed over 25 miles (40 km).

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