Here's why the new coronavirus is so good at infecting human cells
Posted on May 21, 2023
| 4 minutes
| 643 words
| Mittie Cheatwood
The protein that the coronavirus uses to attach to human cells has a compact "ridge" that allows it to attach more strongly to human cells than similar viruses, allowing it to infect better and spread faster, according to a new study.
The new coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, attaches to human cells through what's called a "spike protein," according to a previous Live Science report. After the spike protein binds to the human cell receptor — a protein on the cell surface that serves as a door into the cell — the viral membrane fuses with the human cell membrane, allowing the genome of the virus to enter human cells.
[Read More]Humans Have Caused the Most Dramatic Climate Change in 3 Million Years
Posted on May 21, 2023
| 5 minutes
| 961 words
| Patria Henriques
The level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere today is likely higher than it has been anytime in the past 3 million years. This rise in the level of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, could bring temperatures not seen over that entire timespan, according to new research.
The study researchers used computer modeling to examine the changes in climate during the Quaternary period, which started around 2.59 million years ago and continues into today.
[Read More]If you think you have the coronavirus, here's what to do
Posted on May 21, 2023
| 4 minutes
| 718 words
| Arica Deslauriers
The new coronavirus is rapidly spreading around the world, reaching every continent except Antarctica. As of March 2, there have been more than 80,000 illnesses reported in China, and more than 8,700 illnesses reported outside of mainland China in 64 countries, according to the World Health Organization. Large outbreaks have been reported in South Korea, Italy and Iran, and there are a growing number of cases in Europe and the United States.
[Read More]Kids Boost Activity Level When Around Active Friends
Posted on May 21, 2023
| 4 minutes
| 737 words
| Arica Deslauriers
Children with more-active friends tend to raise their own levels of physical activity, according to a new study.
Experts say the finding could help create interventions to curb the growing rates of childhood obesity.
To conduct the study, researchers interviewed 81 children ages 5 to 12, who were enrolled in after-school programs, and asked about their friendships. The kids also wore devices called accelerometers to monitor their activity at three points in time over the course of the 12-week study.
[Read More]Leo DiCaprio's Rumored Plan to Buy a Dinosaur Duo Has Paleontologists Upset
Posted on May 21, 2023
| 3 minutes
| 508 words
| Mittie Cheatwood
Leonardo DiCaprio is rumored to be in the market for a $2.5 million dinosaur duo: a meat-eating Allosaurus mother and babe, according to Page Six in the New York Post.
If the rumor is true, the prehistoric purchase would be "very disappointing," said Thomas Carr, a vertebrate paleontologist and an associate professor of biology at Carthage College in Wisconsin, who is not involved with the sale.
"[Dinosaur fossils] should not be auctioned at all — fossils are data, and they are our only means of understanding the history of life on this planet,"
[Read More]Meditation Could Play a Role in Heart Disease Prevention, Experts Say
Posted on May 21, 2023
| 3 minutes
| 483 words
| Mittie Cheatwood
Meditation could possibly help ward off heart disease, experts say.
The 7,000-year-old practice has the potential to reduce some risk factors for heart disease, according to a new review from the American Heart Association (AHA). Still, the AHA emphasized that meditation shouldn't replace the approaches that are considered the gold standard for preventing heart disease: leading a heart-healthy lifestyle and following medical recommendations.
More than $200 billion is spent on heart disease patients in the U.
[Read More]Nanofibers Build Stronger, Tougher Bikes and Planes
Posted on May 21, 2023
| 3 minutes
| 474 words
| Trudie Dory
Just because something’s tough doesn’t mean it’s strong. In fact, finding materials that are both tough and strong is one of the biggest obstacles facing those who design everything from bridges to bicycles and bullet-proof vests.
But a new nanofiber from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) could be the well-rounded material long sought after by engineers. This structural nanofiber – a type of synthetic polymer related to acrylic – fulfills both the strength and toughness requirements needed for building objects that are simultaneously resilient and light-weight.
[Read More]Nearly Half Drop Out of Weight-Loss Programs
Posted on May 21, 2023
| 3 minutes
| 475 words
| Trudie Dory
Nearly half of participants in weight-loss programs drop out before completing them, according to a new study.
The researchers found that 43 percent of participants in one weight-loss program — including some who underwent bariatric surgery — dropped out of the program before dropping the desired pounds.
Among participants who had undergone the surgery, the drop-out rate was 12 percent, while the rate was 54 percent among those who had not undergone the surgery.
[Read More]Please Don't Hop the Zoo Wall to Take Jaguar Selfies
Posted on May 21, 2023
| 2 minutes
| 345 words
| Arica Deslauriers
An Arizona woman has been released from the hospital with minor arm injuries after being attacked by a caged jaguar at the Wildlife World Zoo near Phoenix. According to a statement from the zoo, the woman, in her 30s, climbed over a barrier to get closer to the exhibit for a selfie with the jaguar on Saturday (March 9), when the cat reached through the bars of its enclosure and slashed the woman's left arm.
[Read More]Sexual Problems Affect Young Adults Too
Posted on May 21, 2023
| 3 minutes
| 488 words
| Trudie Dory
Sex problems do not only affect middle age and older people — teens and young adults have difficulties with sex too, a new study from Canada shows.
Researchers asked 114 boys and 144 girls ages 16 to 21 about their sex lives, using online questionnaires that assess sexual functioning; for example, problems with erection, ejaculation or sexual desire. The study included only boys and girls who were sexually active, out of 411 people in that age range who initially responded to the survey.
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