Science News for April 20, 2024

Study shows more than half of global infectious diseases experts surveyed rate influenza as the number one pathogen of concern of pandemic potential

A VACCELERATE Consortium survey study found that 57% of global infectious diseases experts ranked influenza as the top pandemic risk, with Disease X and SARS-CoV-2 also among the most concerning pathogens. The study highlights the need for continued preparedness and surveillance to prevent pandemics.

SourceEuropean Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases·JournalTravel Medicine and Infectious Disease·DateApr 20, 2024

Entanglement witnesses bound the amount of entanglement

Researchers have developed a method to quantify entanglement using standard entanglement witness procedure, enabling estimation of lower bounds for various entanglement measures. This approach normalizes the witness operator into a trace distance that characterizes distinguishability between entangled and separable states.

SourceUniversity of Science and Technology of China·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateApr 20, 2024

Empty-handed neurons might cause neurodegenerative diseases

Depletion of axonal mitochondria disrupts autophagy, leading to abnormal protein build-up in neurons. Restoring mitochondrial levels restores autophagy and recovers impaired neuron function.

SourceTokyo Metropolitan University·JournaleLife·DateApr 20, 2024