Two theoretical physicists, Charles Downing from the University of Exeter (United Kingdom) and David Zueco from the University of Zaragoza (Spain), have developed a quantum theory explaining how to engineer non-reciprocal flows of quantum light and matter. The research may be important for the creation of quantum technologies which require the directional transfer of energy and information at small scales. Reciprocity, going the same way backward as forward, is a ubiquitous concept in physics....
During infection, HIV places copies of its genome into the DNA of cells, creating what is known as a viral reservoir. In this state, the virus effectively hides from anti-HIV drugs and the body's immune response. In most people, new viral particles are constantly made from this reservoir. Anti-retroviral therapy (ART) can prevent the new viruses from being made but cannot eliminate the reservoir, necessitating daily treatment to suppress the virus. Some people, known...
Despite scientists all over the globe working to better understand malaria, about a half-million children in Africa die from the parasite each year. However, researchers from the University of Copenhagen have taken a significant step by finding an important difference between naturally acquired immunity and immunity following vaccination. "The antibodies which the body produces when you have been infected with malaria look different from those produced by the body when you have been vaccinated. And...
SpaceX expanded its constellation of low Earth orbit satellites on Saturday with the launch of 53 Starlink satellites from Florida, reports Phys.org. A Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 7:19 a.m. EST and deployed the satellites about 16 minutes after launch. The rocket's reusable first stage, which has been used for multiple launches, including the first crewed test flight of SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft, successfully returned and landed on...
Since 1971, when the U.S. government made defeating cancer a goal and put major funding behind it, death rates for many cancers have plummeted, but some are increasing, according to a new American Cancer Society report. Death rates for all cancers combined have declined since passage of the National Cancer Act of 1971, according to the report. For example, in 2019, deaths from lung cancer were down 44% from the 1993 peak. But death rates were higher than...
A team of researchers led by an Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC) faculty member performed the first-ever simulation of baryons – fundamental quantum particles – on a quantum computer. With the results, the team has taken a step toward more complex quantum simulations that will allow scientists to study neutron stars, learn more about the earliest moments of the universe, and realize the revolutionary potential of quantum computers. "Instead of smashing particles in an...
Next-generation vaccines for COVID-19 should aim to induce an immune response against "replication proteins", essential for the very earliest stages of the viral cycle, concludes new research carried out by University College London scientists. By designing vaccines that activate immune memory cells, known as T cells, to attack infected cells expressing this part of the virus's internal machinery, it may be possible to eliminate SARS-CoV-2 at the very outset, thereby helping limit spread. Currently...
To better understand the impact of sewage on coastal ecosystems, Cascade Tuholske (affiliated with Columbia Climate School) and colleagues at the University of California, Santa Barbara, conducted a novel analysis in which they estimated and mapped nitrogen and pathogen inputs into the ocean from sewage for about 135,000 watersheds around the world at a resolution of 1 kilometre. The assessment employed newly available, high-resolution data on global human populations and modeled how wastewater plumes entering...
The United States will send a crewed mission to the Moon "no earlier than 2025," NASA chief Bill Nelson told reporters today, officially pushing back the launch by at least a year. A target of 2024 was set by the administration of former president Donald Trump when it launched the Artemis program. But the program has faced numerous development delays ranging from its vehicles to the space suits required, reports Phys.org. Last week, NASA...
Researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine have discovered how a common gene mutation robs people of natural cancer protection. Hao Jiang of the UVA Cancer Center and his collaborators have revealed why a mutation in the UTX gene disrupts cells' ability to suppress tumors. The gene product, they found, forms tiny droplets in cells that help prevent tumour formation. But the mutation throws a wrench in that important process, leaving affected people vulnerable. The new...
