New study suggests that SARS-CoV-2 might induce Lasting Pain in unique way

COVID-19, the disease resulting from SARS-CoV-2 infection, is associated with highly variable clinical outcomes that range from asymptomatic disease to death. For those with milder infections, COVID-19 can produce respiratory infection symptoms (cough, congestion, fever) and sensory phenotypes such as headache and loss of sense of smell.

In more severe cases, SARS-CoV-2 infection can affect nearly every organ and result in strokes from vascular occlusion, cardiovascular damage and acute renal failure. A substantial number of actively infected patients suffering from both mild and severe infections experience sensory-related symptoms, such as headache, visceral pain, Guillain-Barre syndrome, nerve pain and inflammation...

Read More

Silicon Heterojunction Solar Cells with up to 26.81% Efficiency

Silicon heterojunction solar cells with up to 26.81% efficiency
Electrical performance of LONGi SHJ solar cells with different designs. a, Diagram of LONGi SHJ solar cells. b,c, Experimental (Exp.) and fitted (Fit.) J–V curves for the p-a-Si:H cell (b, cell 1 in Fig. 1) and the p-nc-Si:H cell (c, cell 2 in Fig. 1). The fitted curves are derived from the Quokka2 simulations (Methods). Intrinsic J–V curves are obtained according to the Richter et al. model of intrinsic recombination with photon recycling (photon recycling coefficient of 0.6). The black arrows between the Suns–VOC and light J–V curves indicate the series resistance of solar cells. Insets: the PV parameters certified by ISFH. d, PLA and corresponding RS at the MPP derived by fitting J–V curves in b and c; rec, recombination...
Read More

LISA will be a remarkable gravitational-wave observatory, but there’s a way to make it 100 times more powerful

LISA will be a remarkable gravitational-wave observatory—but there's a way to make it 100 times more powerful

The first-time detection of Gravitational Waves (GW) by researchers at the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) in 2015 triggered a revolution in astronomy. This phenomenon consists of ripples in spacetime caused by the merger of massive objects and was predicted a century prior by Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity. In the coming years, this burgeoning field will advance considerably thanks to the introduction of next-generation observatories, like the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA).

With greater sensitivity, astronomers will be able to trace GW events back to their source and use them to probe the interiors of exotic objects and the laws of physics...

Read More

Scientists develop Gene Silencing DNA Enzyme that can Target a Single Molecule

UC Irvine scientists develop gene silencing DNA enzyme that can target a single molecule
“The gene silencing Dz 46 enzyme we developed through chemical engineering has the ability to distinguish and cut a single point mutation in an RNA strand,” says John Chaput, UCI professor of pharmaceutical sciences and corresponding author. “When you are talking about precision medicine for patients, it doesn’t get more precise than that.” Steve Zylius / UCI

Researchers from the University of California, Irvine have developed a DNA enzyme—or DNAzyme—that can distinguish between two RNA strands inside a cell and cut the disease-associated strand while leaving the healthy strand intact. This breakthrough “gene silencing” technology could revolutionize the development of DNAzymes for treating cancer, infectious diseases and neurological disorders.

DNAzymes are nucleic ac...

Read More