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• Researchers propose that humidity from masks may lessen severity of COVID-19
• NIH experts discuss SARS-CoV-2 viral variants
• Identifying risk factors for elevated anxiety in young adults during COVID-19 pandemic
• Birds can 'read' the Earth's magnetic signature well enough to get back on course
• Scientists identify how harmless gut bacteria 'turn bad'
• Instant death from heart attack more common in people who do not exercise
• Algorithm that performs as accurately as dermatologists
• Limited transmission of COVID-19 from open schools but teachers were affected: Swedish study
• Preventive blood thinning drugs linked to reduced risk of death in COVID-19 patients
• Tap water access linked to dengue risk
• Polynesian ancestry linked to obesity, heart failure and diabetes in Native Hawaiians
• Most people are naturally armed against SARS-CoV-2, study finds
• Mathematical modeling suggests kids half as susceptible to COVID-19 as adults
• Swirlonic super particles baffle physicists
• Small mammals climb higher to flee warming temperatures in the Rockies
• Genomic test helps estimate risk of prostate cancer metastasis, death
• Wake-up call for neural stem cells
• Protein sequences provide clues to how SARS-CoV-2 infects cells
• Learning by observation reduces cognitive bias, research suggests
• Proper fit of face masks is more important than material, study suggests
• Vibrating 2D materials
• Wafer-scale production of graphene-based photonic devices
• Ionic liquid uniformly delivers chemotherapy to tumors while destroying cancerous tissue
• Smartphone app to change your personality
• Combination of pine scent and ozone as super source of particulate emissions
• Age shall not weary them when it comes to discus and javelin
• Common pipistrelle bats attracted to wind turbines
• Biosensors monitor plant well-being in real time
• Why portraying humans as healthy machines can backfire
• More deaths in England and Scotland may be due to obesity and excess body fat than smoking
• Novel protein could reverse severe muscle wasting in disease, aging and trauma
• Discovery of a new law of phase separation
• Bone marrow 'map' opens path to organoid-like blood stem cell production
• How cells drop the stress
• Using nature's strategies in the development of new drugs
• Metabolism: Light shed on structure of huge enzyme complex
• Study reveals platinum's role in clean fuel conversion
• Solar awnings over parking lots help companies and customers
• Analysis of largest, most diverse genetic data set released
• Nanoparticle gel unites oil and water in manufacturing-friendly approach
• HIV research yields potential drug target
• Fewer older people are having strokes
• Can strep throat make tics worse in kids?

Researchers propose that humidity from masks may lessen severity of COVID-19 Posted: 12 Feb 2021 04:32 PM PST Masks help protect the people wearing them from getting or spreading SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, but now researchers have added evidence for yet another potential benefit for wearers: The humidity created inside the mask may help combat respiratory diseases such as COVID-19.

NIH experts discuss SARS-CoV-2 viral variants Posted: 12 Feb 2021 09:16 AM PST The rise of significant variants of SARS-CoV-2 has attracted the attention of health and science experts worldwide. In a new editorial, experts outline how these variants have arisen, concerns about whether vaccines currently authorized for use will continue to protect against new variants, and the need for a global approach to fighting SARS-CoV-2 as it spreads and acquires additional mutations.

Identifying risk factors for elevated anxiety in young adults during COVID-19 pandemic Posted: 12 Feb 2021 08:39 AM PST A new study has identified early risk factors that predicted heightened anxiety in young adults during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The findings from the study could help predict who is at greatest risk of developing anxiety during stressful life events in early adulthood and inform prevention and intervention efforts.

Birds can 'read' the Earth's magnetic signature well enough to get back on course Posted: 12 Feb 2021 08:19 AM PST Birdwatchers get excited when 'rare' migratory birds makes landfall having been blown beyond their normal range. But these are rare for a reason; most birds that have made the journey before are able to correct for large displacements and find their final destination. Now new research shows how birds displaced in this way are able to navigate back to their migratory route and gives us an insight into how they accomplish this feat.

Scientists identify how harmless gut bacteria 'turn bad' Posted: 12 Feb 2021 08:19 AM PST An international team of scientists has determined how harmless E. coli gut bacteria in chickens can easily pick up the genes required to evolve to cause a life-threatening infection. Their study warns that such infections not only affect the poultry industry but could also potentially cross over to infect humans.

Instant death from heart attack more common in people who do not exercise Posted: 12 Feb 2021 08:19 AM PST An active lifestyle is linked with a lower chance of dying immediately from a heart attack, according to a new study. Heart disease is the leading cause of death globally and prevention is a major public health priority.

Algorithm that performs as accurately as dermatologists Posted: 12 Feb 2021 08:19 AM PST A study has now been presented that boosts the evidence for using AI solutions in skin cancer diagnostics. With an algorithm they devised themselves, scientists show the capacity of technology to perform at the same level as dermatologists in assessing the severity of skin melanoma.

Limited transmission of COVID-19 from open schools but teachers were affected: Swedish study Posted: 12 Feb 2021 07:18 AM PST In Sweden, upper-secondary schools moved online while lower-secondary schools remained open during the spring of 2020. A comparison of parents with children in the final year of lower-secondary and first year of upper-secondary school shows that keeping the former open had limited consequences for the overall transmission of the virus. However, the infection rate doubled among lower-secondary teachers relative to upper-secondary ones.

Preventive blood thinning drugs linked to reduced risk of death in COVID-19 patients Posted: 11 Feb 2021 04:53 PM PST Patients given preventive blood thinning drugs (prophylactic anticoagulants) within 24 hours of admission to hospital with COVID-19 are less likely to die compared with those who do not receive them, a new study finds.

Tap water access linked to dengue risk Posted: 11 Feb 2021 11:44 AM PST Dengue virus is among growing number of mosquito-borne viruses that have adapted to spread in urban environments and are spreading with the increasing rate of urbanization. Now, researchers have identified tap water access in densely populated neighborhoods as a strong predictor of dengue risk in the city of Delhi.

Polynesian ancestry linked to obesity, heart failure and diabetes in Native Hawaiians Posted: 11 Feb 2021 11:44 AM PST A new genetic study of Native Hawaiians finds that people who have a greater proportion of Polynesian ancestry in their genomes face a higher risk of obesity, Type-2 diabetes and heart failure.

Most people are naturally armed against SARS-CoV-2, study finds Posted: 11 Feb 2021 11:44 AM PST The majority of the population can produce neutralizing antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in severe cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), according to a new study. Moreover, the results support the use of combination antibody therapy to prevent and treat COVID-19.

Mathematical modeling suggests kids half as susceptible to COVID-19 as adults Posted: 11 Feb 2021 11:44 AM PST A new computational analysis suggests that people under the age of 20 are about half as susceptible to COVID-19 infection as adults, and they are less likely to infect others.

Swirlonic super particles baffle physicists Posted: 11 Feb 2021 11:43 AM PST In recent years, active, self-propelled particles have received growing interest amongst the scientific community. The 'swirlon' - a novel state of active matter - displayed a stunning behavior whereby instead of moving with acceleration, the quasi-particle groups moved with a constant velocity, proportional to the applied force and in the same direction of the force. This conduct seemingly violates the Second Newton's Law, currently taught in secondary schools.

Small mammals climb higher to flee warming temperatures in the Rockies Posted: 11 Feb 2021 11:43 AM PST The golden-mantled ground squirrel is one of the most photographed animals in the Rocky Mountains. It's also joining many other species of rodents and shrews in Colorado that are making an ominous trek: They're climbing uphill to escape from climate change.

Genomic test helps estimate risk of prostate cancer metastasis, death Posted: 11 Feb 2021 08:39 AM PST A commercially available genomic test may help oncologists better determine which patients with recurrent prostate cancer may benefit from hormone therapy, according to new research.

Wake-up call for neural stem cells Posted: 11 Feb 2021 08:39 AM PST A brain enzyme activates dormant neural stem cells, revealing how defects in its gene could lead to neurodevelopmental disorders.

Protein sequences provide clues to how SARS-CoV-2 infects cells Posted: 11 Feb 2021 08:39 AM PST Researchers have identified sequences in human proteins that might be used by SARS-CoV-2 to infect cells. They have discovered that the virus might hijack certain cellular processes, and they discuss potentially relevant drugs for treating COVID-19.

Learning by observation reduces cognitive bias, research suggests Posted: 11 Feb 2021 08:39 AM PST Research suggests that observing others' decision-making can teach people to make better decisions themselves. The research tested the effectiveness of a new debiasing training strategy and reports first evidence that watching others make decisions can improve our own decision making.

Proper fit of face masks is more important than material, study suggests Posted: 11 Feb 2021 08:38 AM PST Researchers studying the effectiveness of different types of face masks have found that in order to provide the best protection against COVID-19, the fit of a mask is as important, or more important, than the material it is made of.

Vibrating 2D materials Posted: 11 Feb 2021 08:38 AM PST Two-dimensional materials hold out hope for many technical applications. An international research team now has determined for the first time how strongly 2D materials vibrate when electronically excited with light.

Wafer-scale production of graphene-based photonic devices Posted: 11 Feb 2021 08:38 AM PST Researchers have devised a wafer-scale fabrication method that paves the way to the next generation of telecom and datacom devices.

Ionic liquid uniformly delivers chemotherapy to tumors while destroying cancerous tissue Posted: 11 Feb 2021 08:38 AM PST Vascular and interventional radiologists report the development of a new ionic liquid formulation that killed cancer cells and allowed uniform distribution of a chemotherapy drug into liver tumors and other solid tumors in the lab. This discovery could solve a problem that has long plagued drug delivery to tumors.

Smartphone app to change your personality Posted: 11 Feb 2021 08:38 AM PST How quickly can personality traits be modified? An international research team has shown that daily use of a smartphone app can lead to desired personality changes within three months. And three months after the daily interventions, the changes are still noticeable.

Combination of pine scent and ozone as super source of particulate emissions Posted: 11 Feb 2021 08:38 AM PST Scientists have managed to figure out why conifer forests release so many fine particles into the atmosphere. Aerosol particles are particularly abundant when a-pinene, the molecule responsible for the characteristic scent of pine trees, reacts with atmospheric ozone.

Age shall not weary them when it comes to discus and javelin Posted: 11 Feb 2021 06:01 AM PST Discus and javelin throwers as well as marathon runners and race walkers are likely to achieve their best performances at a later age than sprinters, hurdlers and middle-distance runners. Why? It comes down to muscle fibres and technique.

Common pipistrelle bats attracted to wind turbines Posted: 11 Feb 2021 06:01 AM PST One of the most abundant bats in Europe may be attracted to wind turbines, a new study shows.

Biosensors monitor plant well-being in real time Posted: 11 Feb 2021 06:01 AM PST Researchers have developed biosensors that make it possible to monitor sugar levels in real time deep in the plant tissues - something that has previously been impossible. The information from the sensors may help agriculture to adapt production as the world faces climate change.

Why portraying humans as healthy machines can backfire Posted: 11 Feb 2021 06:01 AM PST Confronting consumers with expectations to be 'machine-like' be risky if not aligned with their abilities.

More deaths in England and Scotland may be due to obesity and excess body fat than smoking Posted: 10 Feb 2021 05:13 PM PST Obesity and excess body fat may have contributed to more deaths in England and Scotland than smoking since 2014, according to new research.

Novel protein could reverse severe muscle wasting in disease, aging and trauma Posted: 10 Feb 2021 02:01 PM PST Muscle stem cells drive the tissue's growth and repair after such injuries. But growing these cells in the lab and using them to therapeutically replace damaged muscle has been frustratingly difficult. Researchers have discovered a factor that triggers these muscle stem cells to proliferate and heal. In a mouse model of severe muscle damage, injections of this naturally occurring protein led to the complete regeneration of muscle and the return of normal movement after severe muscle trauma.

Discovery of a new law of phase separation Posted: 10 Feb 2021 02:01 PM PST Researchers show that the dynamics of spontaneous phase separations forming network structures can be controlled by the slow dynamics in the networks formed. This work may lead to cheaper and more powerful rechargeable batteries.

Bone marrow 'map' opens path to organoid-like blood stem cell production Posted: 10 Feb 2021 02:01 PM PST A study provides powerful new insights into how bone marrow tissue works.

How cells drop the stress Posted: 10 Feb 2021 02:01 PM PST Protein condensation slows down gene activity and ensures the survival of stressed cells.

Using nature's strategies in the development of new drugs Posted: 10 Feb 2021 02:00 PM PST Dimerization of the human neuropeptides oxytocin and vasopressin can produce new types of bioactive molecules. Such new constructs provide several opportunities to optimize the efficacy of these neuropeptides for therapeutic application. The researchers were inspired for this approach from naturally occurring dimers.

Metabolism: Light shed on structure of huge enzyme complex Posted: 10 Feb 2021 02:00 PM PST A new method has enabled the natural structure of particularly large and complex enzymes to be revealed. Scientists have investigated a multi-enzyme complex that plays an essential role in metabolism and have discovered that it functions differently than previously thought. This will help scientists better understand certain diseases.

Study reveals platinum's role in clean fuel conversion Posted: 10 Feb 2021 02:00 PM PST Scientists have uncovered dynamic, atomic-level details of how an important platinum-based catalyst works in the water gas shift reaction. The experiments provide definitive evidence that only certain platinum atoms play an important role in the chemical conversion, and could therefore guide the design of catalysts that use less of this precious metal.

Solar awnings over parking lots help companies and customers Posted: 10 Feb 2021 02:00 PM PST Engineers look into the untapped potential of parking lots in a study that investigates the energy-related benefits of developing charging stations powered with solar canopies built into the parking infrastructure of large-scale retailers.

Analysis of largest, most diverse genetic data set released Posted: 10 Feb 2021 02:00 PM PST Researchers published a new analysis from genetic sequencing data of more than 53,000 individuals, primarily from minority populations.

Nanoparticle gel unites oil and water in manufacturing-friendly approach Posted: 10 Feb 2021 02:00 PM PST Oil and water may not mix, but adding the right nanoparticles to the recipe can convert these two immiscible fluids into an exotic gel with uses ranging from batteries to water filters to tint-changing smart windows. A new approach to creating this unusual class of soft materials could carry them out of the laboratory and into the marketplace.

HIV research yields potential drug target Posted: 10 Feb 2021 02:00 PM PST Understanding the mechanism of activation of a protein called SAMHD1 could be a step forward in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Fewer older people are having strokes Posted: 10 Feb 2021 01:59 PM PST A new study has found that people age 70 and older are having fewer strokes, and fewer people of all ages are dying from the disease.

Can strep throat make tics worse in kids? Posted: 10 Feb 2021 01:59 PM PST Exposure to the bacteria that causes strep throat does not appear to make Tourette syndrome and other chronic tic disorders worse in children and teens, according to a new study. However, exposure was associated with increased symptoms of hyperactivity and impulsiveness.

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