The quantum Hall effect traditionally only plays a role in two-dimensional electron systems. Recently, however, a three-dimensional version of the quantum Hall effect was described in the Dirac semimetal ZrTe5.
New method to efficiently deliver drugs into cells
A new, patented method called Progressive Mechanoporation makes it possible to mechanically disrupt the membranes of cells for a short time period and let drugs or genes inside cells. In this way, researchers can test new therapies more easily than before.
Modern vaccines such as those against SARS-CoV-2 use tiny lipid spheres to transport genetic information into cells and let the body build up an immune defense against the virus. A team of scientists from Erlangen, Dresden, and London has now developed a completely new method to very efficiently deliver not only genes but also drugs and other substances into cells.
Has Covid-19 damaged your sense of smell? Smell training may help.
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For the many Covid-19 patients who have lost all or some of their sense of smell, doctors recommend an olfactory version of physical therapy called smell training. Writing for the
New York Times, Christina Caron talks with multiple experts to demystify the (surprisingly tedious) process.
What is smell training?
According to Caron, a large proportion of people who contract Covid-19 report losing their sense of smell entirely or in part or experiencing parosmia, a disorder that causes previously normal odors to develop a new, often unpleasant aroma. In fact, at least one meta-analysis, published in September 2020, found that up to 77% of Covid-19 patients report some form of smell loss, she writes.