291 articles from WEDNESDAY 11.11.2020

Smell and taste changes provide early indication of COVID-19 community spread

Self-reports of smell and taste changes provide earlier markers of the spread of infection of SARS-CoV-2 than current governmental indicators, according to an international team of researchers. The researchers also observed a decline in self-reports of smell and taste changes as early as five days after lockdown enforcement, with faster declines reported in countries that adopted the most...

Sociologists dispel the 'bad apple' excuse for racialized policing

According to a study by University of Miami sociologists published in the American Sociological Association's Contexts magazine, almost one of five police officers exhibit high levels of implicit, or unconscious, pro-white/anti-Black bias, and roughly one of eight officers exhibit high levels of explicit, or conscious, pro-white bias.

Sorting out viruses with machine learning

Researchers at Osaka University created a machine-learning system to identify single viral particles that cause respiratory diseases, including coronavirus, using silicon nanopores. The method does not require labels or reagents and may lead to much cheaper and rapid detection of viruses that cause infectious diseases such as COVID-19.

Targeted therapies developed to reduce lung fibrosis

A new treatment option for lung fibrosis is being developed by Purdue University scientists. People with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) have a life expectancy of less than five years. The Purdue team has developed two targeted therapies for people with IPF.

Team sport lowers blood pressure in postmenopausal women

Team sport effectively counteracts diminished vascular function in women with high blood pressure, even several years after the onset of menopause. Estrogen loss associated with transition into menopause increases women's risk of developing cardiovascular disease and reduces their ability to benefit from training. However, a new study from the Center for Team Sports and Health at the Department of...

The mental state of flow might protect against harmful effects of quarantine

A survey of over 5,000 people in Chinese cities affected by COVID-19 in early 2020 suggests that people who quarantined for a longer period of time generally experienced poorer well-being--but that experiencing the mental state of flow reduced or eliminated that link. Kate Sweeny and colleagues at the University of California, Riverside, U.S., Central China Normal University, China and Nanjing...

The transformation of a pair: How electrons supertransport current in 'bad metals'

The repulsive forces between the electrons in bad metals are much stronger than in low-temperature superconductors: so how do particles with the same charge overcome these forces and manage to pair-up and to transport current as it happens in "traditional" superconductors? According to a new study, in these materials the electrons would transform into new "objects", with an unprecedented character...

The young resumed risky behaviors earlier than the elderly as COVID-19 pandemic dragged on

Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, old and young individuals did not differ in taking precautions, but over time, older people quickly adopted preventive behaviors and they engaged in more preventive behaviors. Older people engaged in fewer risky behaviors relative to younger people on month after the beginning of the pandemic and this age difference persisted over time; both young and older people...

Tips for making nanographene

Nanographene is a material that is anticipated to radically improve solar cells, fuel cells, LEDs and more. Typically the synthesis of this material has been imprecise and difficult to control. For the first time, researchers have discovered a simple way to gain precise control over the fabrication of nanographene. In doing so, they have shed light on the previously unclear chemical processes...

Treatments for people with early COVID-19 infection is an urgent research focus

COVID-19 treatments for people with early infection are needed urgently, according to a JAMA Viewpoint article by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Director Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., and colleagues. Treating people early in the course of infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, would speed their recovery, reduce the likelihood that they develop severe...

Turning heat into power with efficient organic thermoelectric material

Thermoelectric materials can turn a temperature difference into electricity. Organic thermoelectric materials could be used to power wearable electronics or sensors; however, the power output is still very low. An international team led by Jan Anton Koster, Professor of Semiconductor Physics at the University of Groningen, has now produced an n-type organic semiconductor with superior properties...

Vitamin D and Omega-3s bolster health in some active older people

The DO-HEALTH study led by Zurich-based geriatrician Professor Heike Bischoff-Ferrari has examined the effects of simple measures on the health of healthy adults aged 70 or older. Initial analyses suggest that vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids and strength-training exercises do not significantly improve bone health, leg function and memory. Nevertheless, certain groups of people could still benefit...