3,358 articles from NOVEMBER 2021

FDA Panel Narrowly Backs a First-of-a-Kind COVID-19 Antiviral Pill Made By Merck

WASHINGTON (AP) — A panel of U.S. health advisers on Tuesday narrowly backed a closely watched COVID-19 pill from Merck, setting the stage for a likely authorization of the first drug that Americans could take at home to treat the coronavirus. A Food and Drug Administration (FDA) panel voted 13-10 that the drug’s benefits outweigh its risks, including potential birth defects if used...

In children with multiple sclerosis, teriflunomide tempers lesion growth

A phase 3 clinical trial tested the safety and efficacy of teriflunomide, an oral immunomodulatory drug, in children with multiple sclerosis. Although the medication did not prevent disease relapses to a greater extent than placebo, the option for some patients to switch from placebo to teriflunomide before the end of the trial likely biased the results against treatment efficacy. The drug...

Shrinking qubits for quantum computing with atom-thin materials

Current approaches to create superconducting qubits for quantum computers yield chips that are substantially larger than those found in classical computers. To shrink things down, researchers have taken advantage of atomically thin, 2D materials to construct the necessary capacitors for superconducting qubits. Their two-qubit chip is 1,000x smaller than those made with conventional fabrication...

Bringing 400-million-year-old fossilized armored worms to ‘virtual’ life

Scientists have documented the discovery of two new species of fossilized armored worms in Australia -- Lepidocoleus caliburnus and Lepidocoleus shurikenus -- dating from about 400 million years ago. Then, using the micro-CT imaging capabilities of the MU X-ray Microanalysis Core facility, the researchers were able to develop first-of-its-kind digital 3D-models of the species' individual armor...

Altered DNA repair and DNA damage in neurodegenerative conditions

Researchers have confirmed a link between altered DNA repair and increased DNA damage associated with spinocerebellar ataxia type 7 (SCA7), a debilitating, sometimes deadly neurodegenerative condition causing movement disorders. Their work also revealed a potential therapeutic target for the currently incurable and difficult to treat condition.

Researchers generate, for the first time, a vortex beam of atoms and molecules

Vortices may conjure a mental image of whirlpools and tornadoes—spinning bodies of water and air—but they can also exist on much smaller scales. In a new study published in Science, researchers from the Weizmann Institute of Science, together with collaborators from the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology and Tel Aviv University, have created, for the first time, vortices made of a single...

Shrinking qubits for quantum computing with atom-thin materials

For quantum computers to surpass their classical counterparts in speed and capacity, their qubits—which are superconducting circuits that can exist in an infinite combination of binary states—need to be on the same wavelength. Achieving this, however, has come at the cost of size. Whereas the transistors used in classical computers have been shrunk down to nanometer scales, superconducting...

Flu virus shells could improve delivery of mRNA into cells

Nanoengineers at the University of California San Diego have developed a new and potentially more effective way to deliver messenger RNA (mRNA) into cells. Their approach involves packing mRNA inside nanoparticles that mimic the flu virus—a naturally efficient vehicle for delivering genetic material such as RNA inside cells.

Extroverted? You may have better financial outcomes

You might think the way you approach money is based on financial advice or past experiences, but new research from the University of Georgia shows that your personality may have a big impact on financial decision making and risk taking.

NASA TV to Air IXPE Prelaunch Activities, Launch

Portal origin URL: NASA TV to Air IXPE Prelaunch Activities, LaunchPortal origin nid: 475663Published: Tuesday, November 30, 2021 - 15:24Featured (stick to top of list): noPortal text teaser: NASA will provide coverage of the upcoming prelaunch and launch activities for the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) mission, the first satellite dedicated to measuring the...

Bringing 400-million-year-old fossilized armored worms to 'virtual' life

An international team of scientists from the United States and Australia, led by Sarah Jacquet at the University of Missouri, has documented the discovery of two new species of fossilized armored worms in Australia—Lepidocoleus caliburnus and Lepidocoleus shurikenus—dating from about 400 million years ago. Then, using the micro-CT imaging capabilities of the MU X-ray Microanalysis Core...