264 articles from MONDAY 14.6.2021

Researchers create switchable mirrors from liquid metal

In the Optical Society (OSA) journal Optical Materials Express, researchers led by Yuji Oki of Kyushu University in Japan show that switching between reflective and scattering states can be achieved with just 1.4 V, about the same voltage used to light a typical LED.

RNA: A new method to discover its high-resolution structure

The structure of a biomolecule can reveal much about its functioning and interaction with the surrounding environment. In a new study by SISSA experimental data were combined with computer simulations of molecular dynamics to examine the conformation of an RNA fragment involved in protein synthesis and its dependence on the salts present in the solution. The research has led to a new method for...

Scientists expose the cold heart of landfalling hurricanes

Fearsome and powerful, hurricanes can wreak massive destruction when they hit land. But while most hurricanes then weaken, others can strengthen again into extratropical cyclones and caused further damage inland. Now, researchers at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University have used simulations to uncover the presence of a cold core inside decaying hurricanes - an...

Study finds survival is more important than a chronic medical condition in prioritizing medical care

The concept of rationing medical resources during the height of COVID-19 pandemic created tremendous anxiety in the patient and healthcare communities. In planning for that possibility Massachusetts created a triage scoring system focusing on an acute survival score that considers chronic life-limiting medical conditions of the patient, but it does not provide specifics about how to value those...

Study reveals COVID-19 risk factors for those with IDD

A study of nearly 550 adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities receiving residential services in New York City found that age, larger residential settings, Down syndrome and chronic kidney disease were the most common risk factors for COVID-19 diagnosis, and heart disease was most associated with COVID-19 deaths.

Targeted drug found effective in thwarting pancreatic tumors

Through a pre-clinical study conducted in his former role at Moffitt Cancer Center and published in Clinical Cancer Research, Said Sebti, Ph.D., associate director for basic research at VCU Massey Cancer Center, identified a novel drug that effectively thwarts pancreatic tumors that are addicted to the cancer-causing mutant KRAS gene.

Telemedicine program improves access to sleep care for rural veterans

More veterans are receiving important sleep care, especially those living in rural areas where access to sleep medicine specialists can be difficult. The Veterans Health Administration's TeleSleep Program launched telehealth services in 2017 to support the testing, diagnosis, and treatment of obstructive sleep apnea and other sleep disorders. More than one million veterans who received care from...

The evolution of good taste

Does evolution explain why we can't resist a salty chip? Researchers at NC State University found that differences between the elemental composition of foods and the elemental needs of animals can explain the development of pleasing tastes like salty, umami and sweet.

Toxin-adapted fish pass down epigenetic mutations to freshwater offspring

Researchers analyzed the epigenetics--molecular factors and processes that determine whether genes are turned on or off--of a group of Poecilia mexicana fish that live in springs naturally high in hydrogen sulfide, which is normally toxic to most organisms. Even after raising samples of fish in freshwater, researchers found that grandchildren of sulfidic-adapted fish had more epigenetic marks in...