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Science News Archive November 2020 - Page 28


Page 28 of 43

Born to be young?

A new study found that prenatal exposure to maternal thyroid hormones can result in longer telomeres in chicks, making them appear younger at birth. This could have significant implications for understanding the effects of telomere length on aging and mortality risk.

SourceUniversity of Turku·JournalBiology Letters·DateNov 11, 2020

Former NFL players may not suffer more severe cognitive impairment than others, study indicates

A UT Southwestern study found that retired football players with a history of concussions and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) scored similarly to non-athletes on verbal memory and learning tests. However, they showed lower scores on naming tests, which may be related to age-related decline rather than concussion effects.

SourceUT Southwestern Medical Center·JournalCognitive and Behavioral Neurology·DateNov 11, 2020

Cloth face masks that can be disinfected by the sun

Researchers have developed a special type of cotton fabric that releases reactive oxygen species when exposed to daylight, killing microbes attached to its surface while being washable and reusable. The fabric showed promise in reducing the spread of diseases like COVID-19 by killing 99.9999% of bacteria and viruses within 60 minutes.

SourceAmerican Chemical Society·JournalACS Applied Materials & Interfaces·DateNov 11, 2020

Observation of four-charm-quark structure

The LHCb collaboration observes two structures in proton-proton collisions, suggesting the existence of four-charm tetraquark states. The narrower structure is described as a hadron state of mass about 6900 MeV/c2, denoted as X(6900). Understanding the internal structure of hadrons remains a challenge, with QCD models unable to explain...

SourceScience China Press·JournalScience Bulletin·DateNov 11, 2020

Targeted therapies developed to reduce lung fibrosis

Researchers have developed two novel targeted therapies to slow down or stop fibrosis progression in people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). These treatments aim to deliver potent drugs specifically to diseased cells, minimizing harm to healthy ones. The therapies will soon enter human clinical trials.

SourcePurdue University·JournalScience Translational Medicine·DateNov 11, 2020

COVID-19 news from Annals of Internal Medicine

Researchers describe the rapid deployment of a virtual hospital program during the COVID-19 pandemic, finding potential benefits in providing additional inpatient capacity. Meanwhile, a study on 60-day postdischarge outcomes among patients hospitalized with COVID-19 reveals ongoing morbidity and financial loss for most survivors.

SourceAmerican College of Physicians·JournalAnnals of Internal Medicine·DateNov 11, 2020

Folding proteins feel the heat, and cold

Researchers refine theories on protein interactions with solutions, discovering new factors influencing folding, including thermal expansion and temperature. Atom-scale models reveal complex interactions between solvents and peptides, potentially changing our understanding of hydrophobic and hydrophilic effects.

SourceRice University·JournalThe Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters·DateNov 11, 2020

Yale scientists identify protein that protects against Lyme

Researchers at Yale University have discovered a protein called Peptidoglycan Recognition Protein 1 (PGLYRP1) that helps protect hosts from infection with the Lyme spirochete. The study, published in PLOS Pathogens, found that mice lacking this protein had higher levels of the bacteria and showed signs of immune system dysfunction.

SourceYale University·JournalPLOS Pathogens·DateNov 11, 2020

Attosecond boost for electron microscopy

Researchers at University of Konstanz and Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München develop a prototypical attosecond electron microscope (A-TEM) that enables visualization of light-matter interactions at attosecond speeds. This breakthrough can facilitate the exploration of atomic origins of light-matter interactions in complex materials...

SourceUniversity of Konstanz·JournalScience Advances·DateNov 11, 2020