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71 articles from ScienceNOW

A highly conserved cryptic epitope in the receptor binding domains of SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV

The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome–coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has now become a pandemic, but there is currently very little understanding of the antigenicity of the virus. We therefore determined the crystal structure of CR3022, a neutralizing antibody previously isolated from a convalescent SARS patient, in complex with the...

Aerodynamic imaging by mosquitoes inspires a surface detector for autonomous flying vehicles

Some flying animals use active sensing to perceive and avoid obstacles. Nocturnal mosquitoes exhibit a behavioral response to divert away from surfaces when vision is unavailable, indicating a short-range, mechanosensory collision-avoidance mechanism. We suggest that this behavior is mediated by perceiving modulations of their self-induced airflow patterns as they enter a ground or wall effect. We...

An investigation of transmission control measures during the first 50 days of the COVID-19 epidemic in China

Responding to an outbreak of a novel coronavirus [agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)] in December 2019, China banned travel to and from Wuhan city on 23 January 2020 and implemented a national emergency response. We investigated the spread and control of COVID-19 using a data set that included case reports, human movement, and public health interventions. The Wuhan shutdown was...

Comment on "A noninteracting low-mass black hole-giant star binary system"

Thompson et al. (Reports, 1 November 2019, p. 637) interpreted the unseen companion of the red giant star 2MASS J05215658+4359220 as most likely a black hole. We argue that if the red giant’s mass is ~1 solar mass, its companion can be a close binary consisting of two main-sequence stars. This would explain why no x-ray emission is detected from the system.

Contributions of maternal and fetal antiviral immunity in congenital disease

Viral infections during pregnancy can have devastating consequences on pregnancy outcomes, fetal development, and maternal health. In this review, we examine fetal and maternal immune defense mechanisms that mediate resistance against viral infections and discuss the range of syndromes that ensue when such mechanisms fail, from fetal developmental defects to establishment of chronic infection....

Controlling interdependent meso-nanosecond dynamics and defect generation in metal 3D printing

State-of-the-art metal 3D printers promise to revolutionize manufacturing, yet they have not reached optimal operational reliability. The challenge is to control complex laser–powder–melt pool interdependency (dependent upon each other) dynamics. We used high-fidelity simulations, coupled with synchrotron experiments, to capture fast multitransient dynamics at the meso-nanosecond scale...

Elesclomol alleviates Menkes pathology and mortality by escorting Cu to cuproenzymes in mice

Loss-of-function mutations in the copper (Cu) transporter ATP7A cause Menkes disease. Menkes is an infantile, fatal, hereditary copper-deficiency disorder that is characterized by progressive neurological injury culminating in death, typically by 3 years of age. Severe copper deficiency leads to multiple pathologies, including impaired energy generation caused by cytochrome c oxidase dysfunction...