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Medical Xpress / New flu and COVID variants spread, but immune defenses still blunt severe disease

We're keeping an eye on new influenza and SARS-CoV-2 viral variants. Here's what we know about those viruses—and your immune system's ability to fight back.

3 hours ago
Phys.org / Tiny crystal defects solve decades-old mystery in organic light emitters

Materials that emit and manipulate light are at the heart of technologies ranging from solar energy to advanced imaging systems. But even in well-studied materials, some fundamental behaviors remain unexplained. Researchers ...

6 hours ago
Phys.org / Oxide-based sensor opens door to greener, faster, more accurate quality testing of food

An electrochemical sensor developed at Oregon State University holds promise for making food quality testing faster, more accurate, more environmentally friendly, and less expensive. The novel sensor, which also has potential ...

6 hours ago
Medical Xpress / Despite FDA rule change, few retail pharmacies dispense mifepristone

Just a fraction of prescriptions for the abortion pill mifepristone were filled at brick-and-mortar retail pharmacies after federal drug regulators lifted longstanding dispensing limits, according to a new USC study in JAMA. ...

13 hours ago
Medical Xpress / APOE4, the Alzheimer's risk gene, silently undermines bone quality in women

Scientists at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, along with collaborators at UC San Francisco, have discovered that APOE4, the most common genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease, causes bone quality deficits specifically ...

6 hours ago
Phys.org / Quantum sensors get a precision boost as 2D defects reveal their hidden timing

A key factor for the performance of sensors is the speed at which the system returns to its initial state after a disturbance or measurement, similar to the taring of a balance. In the quantum sensor under investigation, ...

6 hours ago
Phys.org / Gold nanorod makes spinning light when struck off-center by an electron beam

Light, as we usually conceive of it, is defined by the astonishing velocity at which it moves from one point to another. For example, in just one second, light can travel most of the distance between Earth and the moon. This ...

15 hours ago
Phys.org / New research on cellular redox reactions sheds light on the path of neurodegenerative diseases

The mechanics of the onset of cancer or neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer's disease or ALS remain a mystery. Scientists associate these diseases with an increase in unstable molecules called reactive oxygen species ...

6 hours ago
Phys.org / Video shows that sunbirds suck, while hummingbirds don't

Two unrelated groups of nectar eaters, hummingbirds and sunbirds, have evolved different techniques to slurp the sweet liquid from flowers. The tongue suctioning employed by sunbirds is unique among vertebrates, according ...

6 hours ago
Phys.org / Painkillers prevent pain responses in Norway lobsters, intensifying the case against boiling them alive

Common human painkillers also work on Norway lobsters, according to research from the University of Gothenburg. This is further evidence that crustaceans may feel pain and that more humane methods of killing them need to ...

15 hours ago
Medical Xpress / AI remains lacking in clinical reasoning abilities, according to study of 21 large language models

Despite increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI) in health care, a new study led by Mass General Brigham researchers from the MESH Incubator shows that generative AI models continue to fall short in their clinical reasoning ...

13 hours ago
Phys.org / Nanodiscs capture HIV and Ebola surface proteins in lifelike membranes for vaccine design

Viruses are masters at invading cells thanks to specialized proteins that coat their surfaces. When scientists design vaccines, they often create versions of these viral surface proteins to study how the immune system might ...

14 hours ago