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Science News for November 26, 2021


About 12 percent of patients who receive common cardiac device implants develop persistent opioid use

A new study by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine found that 12.4% of patients who received implantable cardiac devices and filled an opioid prescription within two weeks of surgery developed persistent opioid use. Higher initial prescriptions were associated with a higher risk of persistent opioid use.

SourceUniversity of Pennsylvania School of Medicine·JournalCirculation·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateNov 26, 2021

Chemists design "molecular sea of flags"

Researchers create large molecular rings that self-assemble into a sheet-like structure on surfaces, allowing for adjustable mesh size and attachment of bulky molecules. This technology has the potential to enable novel catalysts and measure nanomechanical properties of proteins.

SourceUniversity of Bonn·JournalAngewandte Chemie·DateNov 26, 2021

Spinal muscular atrophy: Charité study confirms efficacy of gene therapy

A Charité study confirms the efficacy of gene therapy in improving muscle function and reducing mortality in children with spinal muscular atrophy. The treatment, onasemnogene abeparvoven, was found to be effective in children under two years of age, offering a promising alternative to existing treatments.

SourceCharité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin·JournalThe Lancet Child & Adolescent Health·TypeObservational study·DateNov 26, 2021

Machine learning solves the who’s who problem in NMR spectra of organic crystals

Researchers developed a machine learning method to assign NMR spectra of organic crystals probabilistically from their 2D chemical structures. The approach uses a database of chemical shifts for organic solids, reducing computational cost by up to 10,000 times compared to current methods.

SourceNational Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) MARVEL·JournalScience Advances·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateNov 26, 2021

Taking new aim at COVID-19

Researchers at Duke University have identified chemical compounds that can latch onto the coronavirus's 3D RNA structures and block replication. The compounds, which target the virus's RNA specifically, offer a new mechanism of action against COVID-19.

SourceDuke University·JournalScience Advances·TypeExperimental study·DateNov 26, 2021