Flu breath. Free Technical Library News

NEWS OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, NOVELTY IN ELECTRONICS
Free technical library / timeline

flu breath

21.01.2018

Influenza spreads by airborne droplets - there are viral particles in aerosol droplets that fly out of the patient's mouth, and by inhaling them, we become infected. Where do these microdroplets with a viral filling come from? Obviously, when the patient sneezes and coughs; we instinctively try to move away from such people. However, in fact, coughing and sneezing is not at all necessary: viruses scatter from the patient, even when he is just breathing.

Researchers at the University of Maryland followed nearly XNUMX people with the flu who had symptoms either recently, a day ago, or two days ago. Patients talked, coughed, sneezed, or simply breathed calmly, and the air that came out of their mouths for half an hour was collected and analyzed for viruses; moreover, the presence of the virus was assessed both by its RNA and by whole virus particles.

In about half of the cases when the air sample was taken without coughing and sneezing, the aerosol particles contained a sufficient amount of viral RNA, and most of the "respiratory" aerosols contained whole viral particles. That is, as mentioned above, a person with the flu spreads the virus around him simply by breathing, without any coughing or sneezing. Moreover, the authors argue that when sneezing, the virus does not appear in the air as much as one might expect, that is, sneezing, compared to normal breathing, does not fill the surrounding air with the virus very much.

The new data will help create better mathematical models to describe the spread of influenza (and likely other airborne viruses); such models will enable epidemiologists to more accurately assess the likelihood and severity of seasonal epidemics.

As for more everyday things, even if a person manages not to sneeze or cough, especially in the first days of illness, this is not at all a reason to leave the house: even just breathing in a crowded place, he can infect a bunch of people.

<< Back: Fingerprint sensors in cameras and lenses 22.01.2018

>> Forward: Ultra-strong aluminum alloy created 21.01.2018

Latest news of science and technology, new electronics:

The existence of an entropy rule for quantum entanglement has been proven 09.05.2024

Quantum mechanics continues to amaze us with its mysterious phenomena and unexpected discoveries. Recently, Bartosz Regula from the RIKEN Center for Quantum Computing and Ludovico Lamy from the University of Amsterdam presented a new discovery that concerns quantum entanglement and its relation to entropy. Quantum entanglement plays an important role in modern quantum information science and technology. However, the complexity of its structure makes understanding and managing it challenging. Regulus and Lamy's discovery shows that quantum entanglement follows an entropy rule similar to that for classical systems. This discovery opens new perspectives in the field of quantum information science and technology, deepening our understanding of quantum entanglement and its connection to thermodynamics. The results of the study indicate the possibility of reversibility of entanglement transformations, which could greatly simplify their use in various quantum technologies. Opening a new rule ... >>

Mini air conditioner Sony Reon Pocket 5 09.05.2024

Summer is a time for relaxation and travel, but often the heat can turn this time into an unbearable torment. Meet a new product from Sony - the Reon Pocket 5 mini-air conditioner, which promises to make summer more comfortable for its users. Sony has introduced a unique device - the Reon Pocket 5 mini-conditioner, which provides body cooling on hot days. With it, users can enjoy coolness anytime, anywhere by simply wearing it around their neck. This mini air conditioner is equipped with automatic adjustment of operating modes, as well as temperature and humidity sensors. Thanks to innovative technologies, Reon Pocket 5 adjusts its operation depending on the user's activity and environmental conditions. Users can easily adjust the temperature using a dedicated mobile app connected via Bluetooth. Additionally, specially designed T-shirts and shorts are available for convenience, to which a mini air conditioner can be attached. The device can oh ... >>

Energy from space for Starship 08.05.2024

Producing solar energy in space is becoming more feasible with the advent of new technologies and the development of space programs. The head of the startup Virtus Solis shared his vision of using SpaceX's Starship to create orbital power plants capable of powering the Earth. Startup Virtus Solis has unveiled an ambitious project to create orbital power plants using SpaceX's Starship. This idea could significantly change the field of solar energy production, making it more accessible and cheaper. The core of the startup's plan is to reduce the cost of launching satellites into space using Starship. This technological breakthrough is expected to make solar energy production in space more competitive with traditional energy sources. Virtual Solis plans to build large photovoltaic panels in orbit, using Starship to deliver the necessary equipment. However, one of the key challenges ... >>

New method for creating powerful batteries 08.05.2024

With the development of technology and the expanding use of electronics, the issue of creating efficient and safe energy sources is becoming increasingly urgent. Researchers at the University of Queensland have unveiled a new approach to creating high-power zinc-based batteries that could change the landscape of the energy industry. One of the main problems with traditional water-based rechargeable batteries was their low voltage, which limited their use in modern devices. But thanks to a new method developed by scientists, this drawback has been successfully overcome. As part of their research, scientists turned to a special organic compound - catechol. It turned out to be an important component that can improve battery stability and increase its efficiency. This approach has led to a significant increase in the voltage of zinc-ion batteries, making them more competitive. According to scientists, such batteries have several advantages. They have b ... >>

Alcohol content of warm beer 07.05.2024

Beer, as one of the most common alcoholic drinks, has its own unique taste, which can change depending on the temperature of consumption. A new study by an international team of scientists has found that beer temperature has a significant impact on the perception of alcoholic taste. The study, led by materials scientist Lei Jiang, found that at different temperatures, ethanol and water molecules form different types of clusters, which affects the perception of alcoholic taste. At low temperatures, more pyramid-like clusters form, which reduces the pungency of the "ethanol" taste and makes the drink taste less alcoholic. On the contrary, as the temperature increases, the clusters become more chain-like, resulting in a more pronounced alcoholic taste. This explains why the taste of some alcoholic drinks, such as baijiu, can change depending on temperature. The data obtained opens up new prospects for beverage manufacturers, ... >>

Random news from the Archive

Nanoparticles control immunity 10.02.2020

Injection of nanoparticles into the blood of a person who has suffered a traumatic brain injury will help to avoid cerebral edema. This is exactly what was observed during experiments on mice: the nanoparticles distracted immune cells from their activities in the damaged brain.

That is, inflammation-fighting nanoparticles could someday be a powerful drug, says neuroscientist John Kessler of Northwestern University Chicago. After an injury, tissue often swells as immune cells flock to the injury site. Cerebral edema can be dangerous because it causes the brain to compress against the skull and the pressure can be fatal. Therefore, immune cells need to be somehow distracted without harming them.

Two to three hours after the head injury, mice were injected with tiny, biodegradable particles made from an FDA-approved polymer used in some dissolvable sutures. Instead of rushing to the brain, a certain type of immune cell called monocytes began to pay attention to these outsiders. The researchers found that these monocytes took up the nanoparticles and traveled to the spleen to destroy them. Because the nanoparticles are rapidly cleared from the blood, the researchers injected the mice with the nanoparticles again after a day or two to reduce inflammation that reappeared a few days after injury.

Mice that received the nanoparticles did better after brain injury than mice that did not receive them. Ten weeks after the injury, they had about half the bruising of untreated mice. That is, in mice that received nanoparticles, brain damage was stopped.

See full Archive of science and technology news, new electronics

All languages of this page

Home page | Library | Articles | Website map | Site Reviews