Researchers have developed a new way to speed up quantum measurements, a vital building block for the next generation of quantum technologies.

Accurate and fast quantum measurements will be crucial for quantum technologies, but quantum systems are fragile and susceptible to disturbance which can cause errors. Previous work in this area presented a fundamental challenge—scientists were only able to increase the accuracy of measurements in quantum systems by sacrificing speed.

A team of quantum experts, led by the University of Bristol, have struck upon a novel way to overcome this problem, published in a Physical Review Letters journal paper.

Researchers from the International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Warsaw (IIMCB) have described a new mechanism that improves the efficiency of mRNA-based therapies. The research findings could facilitate the development of novel therapeutics against cancers and infectious diseases.

The scientific experiments were carried out at IIMCB, but important contributions also came from collaborators at the Faculty of Physics and Faculty of Biology of the University of Warsaw, the Medical University of Warsaw, and the Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics of the Polish Academy of Sciences. The study by the Polish researchers has just been published in Nature.

“mRNA vaccines played a key role in controlling the spread of the pandemic. However, mRNA itself is an exceptionally unstable molecule. This does not affect the safety of the therapy but limits its effectiveness—for example, by shortening the duration of action. A particularly important role in mRNA stability is played by its so-called poly(A) tail. In our research, we examined these limitations,” says Prof. Andrzej Dziembowski from the Laboratory of RNA Biology—ERA Chairs Group at the International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Warsaw, one of the lead authors of the study.

The exponential miniaturization of electronic chips over time, described by Moore’s law, has played a key role in our digital age. However, the operating power of small electronic devices is significantly limited by the lack of advanced cooling technologies available.

Aiming to tackle this problem, a study published in Cell Reports Physical Science, led by researchers from the Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, describes a significant increase in performance for the cooling of electronic chips.

The most promising modern methods for chip cooling involve using microchannels embedded directly into the chip itself. These channels allow water to flow through, efficiently absorbing and transferring heat away from the source.

The exotic quantum phase, predicted over half a century ago, could lead to advances in quantum computing, sensors and communication technology.

Windsurf, the maker of a popular AI coding assistant, is in talks to be acquired by OpenAI for about $3 billion, Bloomberg reported.

If the deal happens, it would put OpenAI in direct competition with a number of other AI coding assistant providers, including Anysphere, the maker of Cursor, which OpenAI backed from its OpenAI Startup Fund.

The acquisition could jeopardize the credibility of the OpenAI Startup Fund, given that it is one of Cursor’s biggest investors, said a person familiar with Cursor’s cap table. It’s not clear whether OpenAI approached Cursor about an acquisition.

Billions of heat exchangers are in use around the world. These devices, whose purpose is to transfer heat between fluids, are ubiquitous across many commonplace applications: they appear in HVAC systems, refrigerators, cars, ships, aircraft, wastewater treatment facilities, cell phones, data centers, and petroleum refining operations, among many other settings.

Both the injectable and oral forms of semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, have recently gained attention for their effectiveness in managing weight gain, high blood sugar, and even reducing alcohol cravings.

A new clinical trial, co-led by endocrinologist and diabetes specialist John Buse, MD, PhD, and interventional cardiologist Matthew Cavender, MD, MPH, at the UNC School of Medicine, has demonstrated that the oral form of semaglutide significantly lowers the risk of cardiovascular events in individuals with type 2 diabetes, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) encompasses a range of disorders affecting the heart and blood vessels, including coronary artery disease, heart attack, stroke, and hypertension. These conditions are primarily driven by atherosclerosis, a process where plaque builds up in the arterial walls, leading to narrowed or blocked arteries. Risk factors include smoking, unhealthy diet, lack of exercise, obesity, and genetic predisposition. CVD remains a leading cause of global mortality, emphasizing the importance of lifestyle changes, medical interventions, and preventive measures in managing and reducing the risk of heart-related illnesses.

New system lets drones autonomously perform complex aerobatics, safely outmaneuvering humans in both indoor and outdoor settings.

An innovation by a collaboration of US and Chinese scientists achieved nearly 100% voltage recovery in aging lithium-ion batteries.

A new discovery could pave the way for more effective cancer treatment by helping certain drugs work better inside the body. Scientists at Duke University School of Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, and University of Arkansas have found a way to improve the uptake of a promising class of cancer-fighting drugs called PROTACs, which have struggled to enter cells due to their large size.

The new method works by taking advantage of a protein called CD36 that helps pull substances into cells. By designing drugs to use this CD36 pathway, researchers delivered 7.7 to 22.3 times more of the drug inside cancer cells, making the treatment up to 23 times more potent than before, according to the study published April 17 in Cell.

Data from mouse studies shows this enhanced uptake led to stronger tumor suppression without making the drugs harder to dissolve or less stable.