Good Morning! 🌞

Yesterday evening was the closing ceremony of the 2024 Olympic games.

The top three nations with the most medals were:

1. The United States with 40 gold, 44 silver, and 42 bronze for a total of 126.

2. China with 40 gold, 27 silver, 24 bronze for a total of 91.

3. Great Britain with 14 gold, 22 silver, 29 bronze with a total of 65.

The UK overtook France by 1 medal.

Olympic Facts and History Day 4:

Oldest Olympic Competitor: The oldest Olympian to compete is Swedish shooter Oscar Swahn, who participated in the 1920 Antwerp Olympics at the age of 72. He also won a silver medal, making him the oldest medalist in Olympic history.

Science

Nanofiber Molecules Repair Joint Cartilage

A team at Northwestern University has developed synthetic nanofibers, termed "dancing molecules," which can accelerate cartilage regeneration beyond the body's natural capabilities.

The term was introduced in November 2021 when the team used these molecules to repair tissue and reverse paralysis in mice with severe spinal cord injuries.

Recently, they applied this approach to damaged human cartilage cells. A new study published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society shows that within four hours, the treatment activated gene expression necessary for cartilage regeneration. After three days, the human cells produced protein components needed for cartilage regeneration, a capability adults lack.

The "dancing molecules" work through cellular receptors on the cell membrane, which are gateways for numerous biological processes. These nanofibers mimic the extracellular matrix of the surrounding tissue and keep up with the movement of cell receptors, allowing for effective interaction and communication.

"Cellular receptors constantly move around," said Northwestern Professor of Materials Sciences Samuel Stupp, who led the study. "By making our molecules move, 'dance,' or even leap temporarily out of these structures, they can connect more effectively with receptors."

The goal is to help the 530 million people globally suffering from osteoarthritis, a degenerative joint disease. Current treatments aim to slow disease progression or delay joint replacement, but there are no regenerative options because adults cannot naturally regenerate cartilage.

Stupp and his team focused on receptors for a protein critical for cartilage formation and maintenance, developing a new circular peptide that mimics the bioactive signal of the protein, transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGFb-1). They incorporated this peptide into two different molecules that form supramolecular polymers in water.

The researchers designed one polymer to allow more molecular movement within the large assemblies, while the other restricted movement. The polymer with more mobile molecules was significantly more effective in activating the TGFb-1 receptor.

If this ends up working, it will be a huge medical leap forward.

Olympics

More Awesome Olympic Highlights!

Yesterday evening was the end of the Olympics. Here are some more great highlights from the last couple days.

Here is the Star Spangled Banner from the closing ceremony. Followed by some of the best cinematic moments of the games.

Here are some of the final events from the games. Sadly, NBC sports is not posting any of the artistic gymnastics or synchronized swimming events. Maybe they will be posting them in the not too distant future, or maybe a different company has the rights to post them.

Here are some great compilations from different sports.

And Tom Cruise repelled from the roof of the stadium during the closing ceremonies… Not sure exactly why, but here it is either way.

Environment

First ‘Devil Bird’ Ever Spotted in Maine

In the winter of 2022, Maine saw a rare visit from a Stellar’s sea eagle, a raptor with an 8-foot wingspan that likely strayed from its migratory path from Russia.

Now, the state’s birdwatching community is abuzz again with the first-ever sighting of an anhinga in Maine. This bird, related to the double-crested cormorant, is native to South and Central America but also breeds in Florida, the Gulf Coast, and as far north as the Carolinas. The anhinga was first spotted on July 23 near a pond in Somerville, about 70 miles north of Portland, when a woman posted a photo of it in a local Facebook group.

Tabatha Holt identified it correctly as an anhinga, not a cormorant, after doing some research. At least 80 people, including Doug Hitchcox, staff naturalist for the Maine Audubon Society, have since observed the bird. Hitchcox noted that climate change is likely driving the northward expansion of bird ranges, but it’s difficult to be certain with only one sighting. He described this period as the “rarity season,” when unusual bird appearances are more common.

The anhinga’s name comes from the Indigenous Tupi people of Brazil, who called them “devil birds” or “evil spirit of the woods.” Their striking appearance has also earned them nicknames like “water turkeys” and “snake birds” due to their long, black necks that move like snakes through the water.

Mind Stretchers 

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How many times can you subtract the number 5 from 35?

The answer to yesterday’s Mind Stretcher was:

Chris Hostetler got the answer first again! Looks like Chris is on a roll again.

Be the first to send us the correct answer for today’s mind stretcher for a shout-out with the answer tomorrow. Just send us the answer and your name to [email protected] or reply to this email.

If you have any uplifting stories and experience you might want to share, send those over to [email protected] for the chance to be featured.