Category: Science

annals.org

New study, done by South Korean scientists, shows that “neither surgical nor cotton masks effectively filtered SARS–CoV-2 during coughs by infected patients.”.
Even though previous research shows these masks were effective for influenza, they are not an effective way to stop the spread of COVID.
Scientists don’t know yet how much of the virus is transmitted during coughing.
It’s worth noting, that the COVID contamination was actually bigger on the outside of the masks, than on the inside.

Bulleted by Michał Słupski
on April 7, 2020

Close observation of starfish eggs (which are similar to many other animal eggs) shows that fertilization causes a specific pattern of spiral waves on the egg surface.
It is the universal wave pattern, which also occurs in quantum fluid vortices, atmospheric and oceanic circulations, and electrical signals in the heart and brain.
These waves move around proteins which work together to find the center of the egg, and organize cell division around the egg’s core.
This finding could be beneficial to quantum computing, since the protein waves distribute cell division signals, maybe waves could be used for quantum data.
Study authors collected 10 starfish eggs, introduced a hormone to stimulate maturation, observed through a confocal microscope.

Bulleted by Michał Słupski
on March 24, 2020

upi.com

New protein—TEX264—could help us reverse DNA damage, and help cure neurological diseases, cancer, and aging side-effects, scientists say.
TEX264 is kind of sticky, it sticks to other enzymes and together they can destroy toxic proteins that cause DNA damage.
It is a very complex study and it’s still in early stages, but TEX264 already shows a lot of promise, according to study authors.
The ultimate goal is to selectively repair damaged DNA strands, and a lot more work needs to be done to reach that goal.

Bulleted by Michał Słupski
on March 16, 2020

phys.org

New behaviour of electrons discovered, in which they stop bouncing around, and form a specific pattern.
It was discovered while experimenting with stacking few-atom-thick 2-D materials, and it happens in room temperature conditions, which was presumed impossible.
These materials are made of repeating patterns of atoms, forcing electrons to only move in two dimensions.
The behaviour results from a mix of physical and quantum mechanical factors, guiding electrons to form in specific places, in a repeatable pattern.
So far, scientists still don’t fully understand it, and will need to study it a lot more in order to potentially harness it to use in electronics.

Bulleted by Michał Słupski
on March 2, 2020

Scientists tested Oxytocin on a group of 40 adult men with autism (half of them were given placebo).
First, the team tested how much Oxytocin the men’s bodies produced.
Secondly, the men were given Oxytocin (in nasal spray) for four weeks.
This generated positive effects (less repetitive behavior, easier relationship forming) for up to a year after receiving the Oxytocin.
But this study is just the first step, a lot more studies will have to be performed before Oxytocin is used in a drug for autistic patients.

Bulleted by Michał Słupski
on January 27, 2020

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