(Press-News.org) LA JOLLA, CA--As new COVID-19 variants begin to throw vaccine efficacy in question, two leading scientists are calling for health agencies to invest in the development of vaccines that would be broadly effective against many different variants and strains of potential pandemic viruses.
In a END
Scientists urge for investment now in highly potent vaccines to prevent the next pandemic
Warning that the next fast-spreading virus may not be as accommodating as the coronavirus driving COVID-19, they call for a new approach to pandemic preparedness
2021-02-09
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Scientists create flexible biocompatible cilia that can be controlled by a magnet
2021-02-09
Researchers at the University of Campinas's Chemistry Institute (IQ-UNICAMP) in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, have developed a template-free technique to fabricate cilia of different sizes that mimic biological functions and have multiple applications, from directing fluids in microchannels to loading material into a cell, for example. The highly flexible cilia are based on polymer-coated iron oxide nanoparticles, and their motion can be controlled by a magnet.
In nature, cilia are microscopic hairlike structures found in large numbers on the surface of certain cells, causing currents ...
Can current smartphone technology tell you when a pandemic might come calling?
2021-02-09
Photoplethysmography (PPG) is a simple optical technique used to detect volumetric changes in peripheral blood circulation. It's used in smart watches, for example, to monitor pulse and heart rate, but PPG biosensors are also found in millions of smartphones, but without any current clinical applications.
In a study published online in the February 2021 issue of Chest, researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine, with industry collaborators, found that already embedded PPG in smartphones, in tandem with application software, could be used for remote clinical pulse oximetry to manage chronic cardiopulmonary disease and perhaps initial treatment and monitoring of persons affected in respiratory viral pandemics, such as COVID-19.
"Pulse oximetry monitoring ...
Design and deployment of COVID-19 technology responses and finding ways to make things
2021-02-09
As governments try to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, many are turning to contact tracing, including apps that track your location and electronic check-in QR codes. But with that technology come questions of personal safety, privacy, trust, control and collective action. So what can be done to improve these large-scale technological system roll-outs without infringing on a citizen's right to privacy?
"These systems are logging your physical social network," said Katina Michael, an Arizona State University professor at the School for the Future of Innovation in Society in the College of Global Futures and the School of Computing, Informatics and Decision Systems Engineering in the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering. "The physical has become more ...
Shining a light on the true value of solar power
2021-02-09
Beyond the environmental benefits and lower electric bills, it turns out installing solar panels on your house actually benefits your whole community. Value estimations for grid-tied photovoltaic systems prove solar panels are beneficial for utility companies and consumers alike.
For years some utility companies have worried that solar panels drive up electric costs for people without panels. Joshua Pearce, Richard Witte Endowed Professor of Materials Science and Engineering and professor of electrical and computer engineering at Michigan Technological University, has shown the opposite is true -- grid-tied solar photovoltaic (PV) owners are actually subsidizing their non-PV ...
Super-Earth atmospheres probed at Sandia's Z machine
2021-02-09
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- The huge forces generated by the Z machine at Sandia National Laboratories are being used to replicate the gravitational pressures on so-called "super-Earths" to determine which might maintain atmospheres that could support life.
Astronomers believe that super-Earths -- collections of rocks up to eight times larger than Earth -- exist in the millions in our galaxy. "The question before us is whether any of these super planets are actually Earthlike, with active geological processes, atmospheres and magnetic fields," said Sandia physicist Joshua Townsend.
The current ...
Low carbon transport at sea: Ferries voyage optimization in the Adriatic
2021-02-09
Energy efficiency or carbon intensity (defined as CO2 emissions per transport work, ed.) is a possible point of convergence between the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and EU regulations to cut GHG emissions and decarbonize shipping. Short term measures to increase energy efficiency and achieve carbon intensity savings include voyage optimization.
A new study led by the CMCC Foundation, realized in the framework of the Interreg Italy-Croatia END ...
Racism and anti-gay discrimination heighten risk for arrest and incarceration
2021-02-09
New research by Morgan Philbin, PhD, at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and colleagues looks at why Black young men who have sex with men (YMSM) are disproportionately subject to high rates of arrest and incarceration. They find that perceived racial discrimination, sexual orientation discrimination, and HIV-status discrimination are all associated with risk for criminal justice involvement in this population.
The research appears in the journal Stigma and Health.
Various studies have shown that Black men are imprisoned at nearly seven times the rate of white men; sexual minority young adults are nearly three times more likely to report being criminally sanctioned compared to their heterosexual ...
A study presents an algorithm that automates electrocardiogram recordings
2021-02-09
An electrocardiogram (ECG) is an examination that records the electrical activity of the heart during the cardiac cycle. It is non-invasive and usually involves placing electrodes on the subject's skin. It is a most indicated type of examination when there is suspected heart disease and also in routine preventive health check-ups.
The cardiac cycle entails the emptying of blood from the atria to the ventricles ("P" wave, red in the image), the contraction of the ventricles to propel blood to the different tissues and organs of the body ("QRS" wave, green in the image), and ...
Drug is promising against pancreatic and breast cancers
2021-02-09
ATLANTA--ProAgio, a drug developed by Georgia State University biology professor Zhi-Ren Liu and his team, is effective at treating pancreatic cancer and prolonging survival in mice, according to a study published in the journal Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
A second study, published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, shows the drug is also effective against triple-negative breast cancer, a fast-growing and hard-to-treat type of breast cancer that carries a poor prognosis.
ProAgio, created from a human protein, targets the cell surface receptor integrin αVβ?, which is expressed on cancer-associated fibroblasts. Fibroblasts are cells ...
'Defective' carbon simplifies hydrogen peroxide production
2021-02-09
HOUSTON - (Feb. 9, 2021) - Rice University researchers have created a "defective" catalyst that simplifies the generation of hydrogen peroxide from oxygen.
Rice scientists treated metal-free carbon black, the inexpensive, powdered product of petroleum production, with oxygen plasma. The process introduces defects and oxygen-containing groups into the structure of the carbon particles, exposing more surface area for interactions.
When used as a catalyst, the defective particles known as CB-Plasma reduce oxygen to hydrogen peroxide with 100% Faradaic efficiency, a measure of charge transfer in electrochemical reactions. The process shows promise to replace the complex anthraquinone-based production ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Attitudes, not income, drive energy savings at home
The playbook for perfect polaritons
‘Disease in a dish’ study of progressive MS finds critical role for unusual type of brain cell
Solar-powered method lights the way to a ‘de-fossilized’ chemical industry
Screen time linked to lower academic achievement among Ontario elementary students
One-year outcomes after traumatic brain injury and early extracranial surgery in the TRACK-TBI Study
Enduring outcomes of COVID-19 work absences on the US labor market
Affirmative action repeal and racial and ethnic diversity in us medical school admissions
Cancer progression illuminated by new multi-omics tool
Screen time and standardized academic achievement tests in elementary school
GLP-1RA order fills and out-of-pocket costs by race, ethnicity, and indication
Study finds HEPA purifiers alone may not be enough to reduce viral exposure in schools
UVA Health developing way to ID people at risk of dangerous lung scarring even before symptoms appear
How can we know when curing cancer causes myocarditis?
Male infertility in Indian men linked to lifestyle choices and hormonal imbalances
An acoustofluidic device for sample preparation and detection of small extracellular vesicles
The advent of nanotechnology has ushered in a transformative era for oncology, offering unprecedented capabilities for targeted drug delivery and controlled release. This paradigm shift enhances thera
A prototype LED as thin as wallpaper — that glows like the sun
Transnational electoral participation of undocumented Mexican immigrants in the US
A new method to build more energy-efficient memory devices for a sustainable data future
Freely levitating rotor spins out ultraprecise sensors for classical and quantum physics
‘Chinese lantern’ structure shifts into more than a dozen shapes for various applications
Towards light-controlled electronic components
Tiny architects, titanic climate impact: scientists call for October 10 to become International Coccolithophore Day
Stress sensitivity makes suicidal thoughts more extreme and persistent among the university population
Lessons from Ascension’s shark troubles could help boost conservation
Fire provides long-lasting benefits to bird populations in Sierra Nevada National Parks
Menstrual cycle affects women’s reaction time but not as much as being active
Housing associations more effective than government in supporting unemployed in deprived areas
Biochar helps composting go greener by cutting greenhouse gas emissions
[Press-News.org] Scientists urge for investment now in highly potent vaccines to prevent the next pandemicWarning that the next fast-spreading virus may not be as accommodating as the coronavirus driving COVID-19, they call for a new approach to pandemic preparedness