158 articles from TUESDAY 3.8.2021

Covid drug could help reduce heavy menstrual bleeding

Trial suggests anti-inflammatory dexamethasone may offer welcome alternative to intra-uterine systemResearchers hope a steroid that shot to prominence during the Covid pandemic may help reduce blood loss in those who experience heavy periods.The cheap anti-inflammatory dexamethasone was discovered to improve survival rates among patients critically ill with Covid. It is also used for conditions...

Running quantum software on a classical computer

Physicists have introduced an approach for simulating the quantum approximate optimization algorithm using a traditional computer. Instead of running the algorithm on advanced quantum processors, the new approach uses a classical machine-learning algorithm that closely mimics the behavior of near-term quantum computers.

New study details enzyme that allows coronavirus to resist antiviral medications

A new study details the structure of a critical enzyme present in SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. This enzyme removes nucleoside antiviral medications from the virus's RNA, rendering many treatments ineffective. Scientists could use data uncovered in the new study to find ways to inhibit the enzyme, possibly leading to more effective treatments.

Insight into underlying causes of seizure disorder in babies

Researchers report that infantile spasms, a rare but serious seizure disorder in babies, appear to be the result of a molecular pathway gone awry. In their study of a mouse model of the disorder, the researchers discovered that genetic mutations associated with the disease impair a pathway that is involved in building new synapses in the hippocampus, a brain region essential to learning and...

Tracking circadian rhythms from your smartwatch

Smartwatches are handy devices for people to keep track of the number of steps they take per day or to track their mile time during a run. But they are also opportunities for scientists to understand people's physiological processes while they are going about their everyday lives.

New tool enables mapping of protein interaction networks at scale

Bioengineers have developed a technology capable of revealing the protein-protein interactions (PPI) among thousands of proteins in a cell, in a single experiment. The tool, called PROPER-seq (protein-protein interaction sequencing), allows researchers to map the PPI network from their cells of interest within several weeks, without any specialized resources such as antibodies or pre-made gene...

Experimental model of ovarian cancer shows effect of healthy cell arrangement in metastasis

A key element to slowing metastasis in ovarian cancer is understanding the mechanisms of how tumor cells invade tissues. Biophysics researchers explain how microscopic defects in how healthy cells line up can alter how easily ovarian cancer cells invade tissue. Using an experimental model, the group found that disruptions in the normal cellular layout, called topological defects, affect the rate...

Does visual feedback of our tongues help in speech motor learning?

When we speak, we use our auditory and somatosensory systems to monitor the results of the movements of our tongue or lips. Since we cannot typically see our own faces and tongues while we speak, however, the potential role of visual feedback has remained less clear. Researchers explore how readily speakers will integrate visual information about their tongue movements during a speech motor...

Artificial stomach reveals fluid dynamics of food digestion

Scientists have extensively studied how gastric juices in the stomach break down ingested food and other substances. However, less is known about how complex flow patterns and mechanical stresses in the stomach contribute to digestion. Researchers built a prototype of an artificial antrum to present a deeper understanding of how physical forces influence food digestion based on fluid dynamics....

Nanotech device can detect risk for serious complication during pregnancy

Researchers have developed a new way to detect a potentially life-threatening condition that can occur during pregnancy. The condition, placenta accreta spectrum disorder, occurs when the placenta grows too deeply into the uterine wall and fails to detach from the uterus after childbirth. It can lead to significant blood loss during pregnancy and delivery, requiring blood transfusions and...

Can East Asian monsoon enhancement induce global cooling?

The study of the orogenic effects of the Tibetan Plateau uplift on global climate during the Cenozoic has focused almost exclusively on the India-Asia collision zone, the Himalayas. The strong erosion in the Himalayas was assumed to be a primary driver of Cenozoic atmospheric CO2 decline and global cooling predominantly through accelerating silicate chemical weathering in the India-Asia collision...

Acquisition of channel state information for mmWave MIMO: Traditional and machine learning approaches

Millimeter wave (mmWave) communications have attracted extensive interest from academia, industry, and government as they can make full use of abundant frequency resources at the high-frequency band to achieve ultra-high-speed data transmission. The mmWave communication systems are usually equipped with large antenna arrays, known as mmWave massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), to...

Prestressed plasters for old buildings

Bent concrete beams, cracks on the undersides of bridges, risk of rust for the reinforcement: In Switzerland, many structures are getting on in years. Take national roads, for example: According to the 2019 report of the Federal Roads Office (FEDRO), a large proportion of bridges were built between the mid-1960s to the 1980s—with significantly lower traffic loads than today.

Two new genera and species of conifers from upper Cretaceous discovered in Hokkaido, Japan

Illustrations depicting the dinosaur era—whether in books or movies—are often accompanied by lush greenery. During the Cretaceous period, the trees commonly dominating a wide range of Earth's terrestrial environments were conifers—similar to the pines, spruces, cypresses and cedars that populate the earth today. These conifers played a key role in ecosystems, providing nourishment,...