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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on August 30, 2020 at 9:39am

Physicists Just Found a New Quantum Paradox That Casts Doubt on a Pillar of Reality

If a tree falls in a forest and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound? Perhaps not, some say.

And if someone is there to hear it? If you think that means it obviously did make a sound, you might need to revise that opinion.

We have found a new paradox in quantum mechanics – one of our two most fundamental scientific theories, together with Einstein's theory of relativity – that throws doubt on some common-sense ideas about physical reality.

Quantum mechanics vs common sense

Take a look at these three statements:

1. When someone observes an event happening, it really happened.

2. It is possible to make free choices, or at least, statistically random choices.

3. A choice made in one place can't instantly affect a distant event. (Physicists call this "locality".)

These are all intuitive ideas, and widely believed even by physicists. But our research, published in Nature Physics, shows they cannot all be true – or quantum mechanics itself must break down at some level.

https://theconversation.com/a-new-quantum-paradox-throws-the-founda...

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on August 30, 2020 at 9:37am

Microbes Living Deep Below Earth's Surface Could Be Remnants of Ancient Life Forms

There's an enormous variety of life thriving deep beneath Earth's surface. A new analysis of two major groups of subsurface microbes has now revealed that their evolutionary path to life in the dark has been more curious than we expected.

In our planet's first 2 billion years of existence, there was no oxygen in the atmosphere. Once the air on our blue planet changed, not all life forms adapted, with many microbes retreating into less oxygenated parts of the planet.

Patescibacteria and DPANN are two ubiquitous groups of such subsurface microbes - bacteria and archaea, respectively - that appear to have very simple genomes. This has led many to suspect that without the ability to breathe oxygen, these microbes might need to rely on complex interactions with other organisms to supplement their simple lifestyles. 

Now, it seems we may not be giving them enough credit. New research indicates that instead of having a symbiotic dependency on other major groups of organisms, most Patescibacteria and DPANN live as completely free cells. 

These microbes [..] are really special, really exciting examples of the early evolution of life.

They may be remnants of ancient forms of life that had been hiding and thriving in the Earth's subsurface for billions of years

https://www.sciencealert.com/these-two-groups-of-microbes-can-t-bre...

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on August 29, 2020 at 7:56am

How Birds Evolved Their Incredible Diversity

An analysis of 391 skulls shows that birds evolved surprisingly slowly, compared with their dinosaur forerunners

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-birds-evolved-their-...

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Sex differences in COVID-19 immune responses affect patient outcomes

When comparing male and female patients, the researchers found key differences in the immune response during the early phases of infection. These differences included higher levels for men of several types of inflammatory proteins called cytokines, including two known as IL-8 and IL-18. Cytokines are deployed as part of the body’s innate immune reaction. This is a first general counterattack to invading pathogens, in which immune cells are called to the site of an infection, creating inflammation of the affected tissue as a physical barrier against the invading pathogen to promote healing.

However, in severe cases of COVID-19, an excessive buildup of cytokines, referred to as a “cytokine storm,” causes fluid to build up in the lungs, depriving the body of oxygen and potentially leading to shock, tissue damage, and multiple organ failure. The earlier higher concentrations of cytokines in men make these outcomes more likely.

In contrast, the researchers found that female patients had more robust activation than men of T-cells, white blood cells of the adaptive immune system that can recognize individual invading viruses and eliminate them.

Observations of patients over time revealed that poor T-cell responses in men led to worsening of the disease. When female patients had highly elevated innate cytokine levels, they too did worse. In addition, older men — but not older women — were observed to have significantly worse T-cell responses than younger patients.

Based on these findings, the researchers suggest exploring therapeutic interventions and vaccine strategies that elevate T-cell immune response to the virus in male patients and that dampen innate immune activation during early stages of the disease in female patients.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2700-3

https://researchnews.cc/news/2239/Sex-differences-in-COVID-19-immun...

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on August 29, 2020 at 6:54am

Four things you need to know about hurricanes

Hurricanes leave a lasting impact on affected communities. Experts have put together a list of things you have to be careful about ….

1. Mosquitoes thrive in flooded, stagnant water, and hurricanes can kickstart disease outbreaks.
2. In places with aging and insufficient infrastructure, water quality literally goes down the toilet after a big storm.
3. In addition to their human toll and property damage, hurricanes and other natural disasters leave lasting impacts on the mental health of survivors.
4. And as if a handful hurricanes per year wasn’t bad enough, the ongoing climate crisis is making them (and many other disasters) stronger and more frequent.

https://massivesci.com/notes/hurricane-dorian-mental-health-disease...

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Tropical Songbirds Have an Extreme Drought Survival Tactic: They Stop Breeding

https://www.sciencealert.com/tropical-songbirds-have-an-extreme-dro...

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on August 29, 2020 at 6:43am

Medial prefrontal cortex regions involved when the brain decides whether to continue a behavior or change it

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-08-medial-prefrontal-cortex-reg...

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Zika Infection Increases Risk of Severe Dengue Fever

A study of Nicaraguan children links prior Zika virus infection with aggravated dengue fever symptoms.

https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/zika-infection-increases...

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 Modeling Study Flags Species Susceptible to SARS-CoV-2

Some critically endangered animals are on the list.

https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/modeling-study-flags-spe...

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The First-Ever Quantum Simulation of a Chemical Reaction

https://www.sciencealert.com/google-claims-the-first-ever-simulatio...

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 Can Vaccines for Wildlife Prevent Human Pandemics?

Studies suggest that self-disseminating vaccines could prevent the "spillover" of animal viruses into humans as pandemic diseases.

https://www.quantamagazine.org/can-vaccines-for-wildlife-prevent-hu...

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To Pay Attention, the Brain Uses Filters, Not a Spotlight

A brain circuit that suppresses distracting sensory information holds important clues about attention and other cognitive processes.

https://www.quantamagazine.org/to-pay-attention-the-brain-uses-filt...

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on August 29, 2020 at 6:41am

Screening of the effects of a pathogenic fungus

The pathogenic fungus Candida auris, which first surfaced in 2009, is proving challenging to control. It is resistant to many fungicides and not easy to diagnose. Researchers now have discovered that the human immune system recognizes the fungus well. However, the fungus is especially dangerous for people with compromised immunity. The study has been able to pin-point the fungus' Achilles heel for new, effective drugs. 

n 2009, an unknown fungus was discovered in the infected ear of a seventy-year-old Japanese woman; this was called Candida auris. Where C. auris suddenly came from was not clear, but soon after that, different strains appeared all over the world. It turned out to be a persistent, difficult to control fungus, which was also usually resistant to fungicides.

A careful study of the human immune response to the C auris infection demonstrated that specific components of the cell wall of the fungus play an essential role in this recognition. These are unique structures that you do not encounter with other fungi. Those specific chemical structures stimulate the immune system enough to take action and clear the fungus.

Mariolina Bruno et al, Transcriptional and functional insights into the host immune response against the emerging fungal pathogen Candida auris, Nature Microbiology (2020). DOI: 10.1038/s41564-020-0780-3

https://phys.org/news/2020-08-international-screening-effects-patho...

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on August 29, 2020 at 6:32am

Brain circuit activated by hunger makes starved fish fight for longer

Depriving a zebrafish of food for six days boosts its chances of winning a fight against a well-fed fish because starvation activates a certain pathway in its brain, neuroscientists have shown. This finding could well have implications for other animals and humans since the neural pathway is conserved across species.

In this  study by a research team has found that in 75% of fights, the hungry zebrafish emerges as the victor!

In an earlier study, the team had discovered that a zebrafish would tend to win fights when a specific pathway originating in a brain structure called the habenula was activated, whereas it would have a propensity to lose fights if another pathway in the same region was activated.

There is logic to this finding. Hungry fish are more motivated to obtain food And since winners of fights secure more resources such as food, it makes sense that starved fish try harder to win fights.

Hunger may cause similar effects in people too.

hunger activated the winner pathway in the habenula via a neuropeptide called orexin. Orexin is well known for its role in regulating sleep and appetite, but it had not previously been implicated with social behaviors such as fighting. It was also the first time that orexin has been shown to regulate the expression of specific genes.

Haruna Nakajo et al. Hunger Potentiates the Habenular Winner Pathway for Social Conflict by Orexin-Promoted Biased Alternative Splicing of the AMPA Receptor Gene, Cell Reports (2020). DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.107790

https://phys.org/news/2020-08-brain-circuit-hunger-starved-fish.htm...

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on August 29, 2020 at 6:19am

Preventing infection, facilitating healing: New biomaterials from spider silk

New biomaterials developed by researchers eliminate risk of infection and facilitate healing processes.

A research team  has succeeded in combining these material properties which are highly relevant to biomedicine. These nanostructured materials are based on spider silk proteins. They prevent colonization by bacteria and fungi, but at the same time proactively assist in the regeneration of human tissue. They are therefore ideal for implants, wound dressings, prostheses, contact lenses, and other everyday aids.

Using biotechnologically produced spider silk proteins, they have developed a material that prevents the adhesion of pathogenic microbes. Even streptococci, resistant to multiple antibacterial agents (MRSA), have no chance of settling on the material surface. Biofilms growing on medical instruments, sports equipment, contact lenses, prostheses, and other everyday objects may therefore soon be history.

Moreover, the materials are designed to simultaneously aid the adhesion and proliferation of human cells on their surface. If they can be used for e.g. wound dressings, skin replacement, or implants, they proactively support the regeneration of damaged or lost tissue. 

 Sushma Kumari et al, Engineered spider silk-based 2D and 3D materials prevent microbial infestation, Materials Today (2020). DOI: 10.1016/j.mattod.2020.06.009

https://phys.org/news/2020-08-infection-biomaterials-spider-silk.ht...

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on August 29, 2020 at 5:59am

Energy firm says its nuclear-waste fueled diamond batteries could last thousands of years

These surreal claims are being made by a California-based battery company that says successful early test results recently competed on a nano-diamond battery brings them closer to realizing such claims.

The key to their revolutionary batteries is radioactive nuclear waste. There are massive quantities of leftover nuclear waste from nuclear plant facilities. Such waste is extremely toxic, lasts thousands of years and poses a challenge when it comes to disposing of it (burying and encasing it) safely.

The company, NDB, says it can safely utilize this waste to generate power in its nano diamond batteries. It can achieve this by processing graphite nuclear waste into a pure form and then converting it into diamonds. As the waste product enveloped by the diamond decays, it interacts with the carbon to generate a small electric current.

Depending on the power drain, the battery, which never needs recharging, would last for a user's lifetime, and beyond.

It could be used for common mobile devices, medical products, satellites and could provide energy in hard-to-reach locations or remote areas where routine maintenance would be difficult.

Good ideas …. nuclear-waste fueled diamond batteries that could last thousands of years

https://techxplore.com/news/2020-08-energy-firm-nuclear-waste-fuele...

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on August 29, 2020 at 5:51am

How cells can find their way through the human body

A team of researchers  has discovered how cells are able to travel so accurately through the human body

In their paper published in the journal Science, the group describes a theory they developed to explain cell orienteering and how they tested it using mazes.

When the body is injured, such as being poked with a needle, the immune system responds by sending white blood cells to kill any bacteria that might be trying to enter through the wound. But how do the cells know how to find the wound? Prior research has shown that cells use chemicals in the body known as chemoattractants to navigate short distances. White blood cells can sense and move toward them—but it only works for short distances. In this new effort, the researchers found that cells can use such chemoattractants in a different way to navigate longer and more complicated pathways.

The researchers theorized that certain cells navigate by breaking down chemoattractants that are close to them. They then sense the degree to which the chemoattractants are replenished, and most importantly, in which direction. By noting the position of the new chemoattractants, they are able to move toward their desired destination. As an example, a white blood cell working its way to a wound upon finding a fork in the road would choose the path with the most or newest chemoattractants after it breaks them down in both directions.

Seeing around corners: Cells solve mazes and respond at a distance using attractant breakdown, Science  28 Aug 2020: Vol. 369, Issue 6507, eaay9792 , DOI: 10.1126/science.aay9792 , science.sciencemag.org/content/369/6507/eaay9792

https://phys.org/news/2020-08-cells-human-body.html?utm_source=nwle...

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