USCP Arrested 130 Pro-Palestinian Mennonites in the Cannon Rotunda

The routine of taking a rapid COVID-19 test is one that’s become depressingly familiar to many of us in the years since the beginning of the pandemic. Generally‚ you need to wait with your fingers crossed for about 15 minutes before reading the result‚ but what if that timeframe could be shortened to just a minute? A new prototype test that’s being developed could do just that‚ and it takes inspiration from an unlikely source – bioluminescent crustaceans.Bioluminescence‚ the ability to generate light‚ can be found throughout the natural world. From fairy lanterns‚ to fierce underwater hunters‚ to forests of foxfire‚ there’s no shortage of living glowsticks out there. Generally‚ bioluminescence works through a reaction between an enzyme‚ luciferase‚ and its substrate‚ a class of proteins called luciferins. However‚ some luciferins are less fussy than others – they’ll react with other proteins‚ even ones not considered to be enzymes.These special luciferins are known as imidazopyrazinone-type (IPT) compounds‚ and previous research suggested they could be put to use in medical tests that use the glow of these molecules to alert the user to the presence of a particular protein. Something like the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus‚ perhaps.A team led by Ryo Nishihara and Ryoji Kurita at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology in Japan began investigating IPT luciferins from different species to see if any of them had potential for use in a COVID-19 test. Only one of the 36 molecules emitted light when it reacted with the spike protein‚ a luciferin found in tiny crustaceans in the genus Cypridina.  The luciferin produced by these tiny crustaceans could be the next big thing in virus testing.Image credit: Buntan/Shutterstock.comOver the course of a 10-minute reaction‚ enough light was released to be detected using a commercial luminescence-reading device – it was not visible to the naked eye‚ which will come as a blow to anyone planning a COVID test-themed rave in the near future. Another key point in this IPT molecule’s favor is that it was found to be selective‚ only reacting to the spike protein and not to six other proteins that naturally occur in saliva.The cherry on the cake was that the luciferin-based test was found to be as accurate at detecting the spike protein in saliva samples as a test that’s currently used in vaccine development. The only difference was that it produced this accurate result in just one minute‚ significantly faster than any rapid test available to the public right now.The authors write in their study that their method “offers a novel platform to detect virus antigens simply and rapidly without genetic manipulation or antibodies.” A future COVID test could use a simple “mix and read” protocol; the IPT luciferin could simply be added to a saliva sample from a suspected COVID patient‚ and any light emitted could then be detected.And it’s not just COVID. Other coronaviruses like the one responsible for MERS‚ as well as influenza viruses‚ have spike proteins‚ and so are potential candidates for this new testing approach. COVID looks set to be with us for a long time to come. Access to rapid testing remains important for a variety of reasons‚ and anything that can make the process quicker and easier is likely to be welcomed. If the authors can build on the success of this study‚ the next generation of test kits might even come with a glowing surprise. The study is published in the journal ACS Central Science.  

“Ugh‚ nobody has any common sense these days!” We’ve probably all said it at one time or another‚ even though common sense is supposed to be this universal ability to know and understand something. A new study‚ however‚ suggests that there’s nothing universal about it at all – our sense of common sense may actually be less collective and more about personal perspective.When a person calls something “common sense”‚ it generally means they think it should be viewed and understood in the same way by everyone. Researchers Mark Whiting and Duncan Watts from the University of Pennsylvania sought to determine what people believe to be common sense and to what degree this is‚ well‚ common.The duo asked 2‚046 people to rate 4‚407 claims of common sense from multiple sources‚ including news media‚ political campaign emails‚ and popular sayings. These ranged from factual claims like “triangles have three sides” to the more abstract “perception is the only source of knowledge‚ what is not perceived does not exist” (#deep).Participants were asked whether they agreed with a claim‚ why they answered the way they did‚ and how they thought most other people would answer. They also had to answer several other questions‚ such as whether or not they thought a claim was about physical or social reality and if it was an opinion or factual.Overall‚ the team found that what’s perceived to be common sense varies considerably between people. That was less the case when it came to the facts‚ such as the number of sides in a triangle – although at this point‚ we wouldn’t be surprised to find a conspiracy theory claiming “Big Math” is lying to us about shapes.When taking a closer look at the reasons for differences in people’s perception of common sense‚ it indicated that the way a person viewed a topic could have a significant impact on whether or not they felt something was common sense or not. For example‚ when it comes to the phrase “all people are created equal”‚ people who didn’t believe that were less likely to think of it as common sense. Someone’s level of social perception was also found to play a role‚ but perhaps most surprising‚ was that demographic factors such as age‚ education‚ and gender didn’t.“We conclude that while there may exist a body of knowledge that is truly common to everyone‚ it constitutes only a fraction of what any one person considers to be common sense‚ where the latter is highly idiosyncratic and potentially unique to them alone‚” the researchers write.As for the uses of this research – other than letting us know we should probably be a tad more considerate the next time we’re about to bemoan someone for their lack of common sense – the team believes it has potential uses in both social science research and in the improvement of artificial intelligence.The study is published in PNAS.

You may recognize Choriaster granulatus from such subreddits as r/mildlypenis‚ r/intentionallypenis‚ and r/oddlyarousing. The starfish is famous for its penis-like “arms” – but what you’re really looking at is a whole lot of head.C. granulatus‚ commonly known as the granulated sea star‚ is found across the Indo-Pacific. It enjoys warm waters and chilling on everything from rocky‚ rubbly surfaces to coastal coral reefs. Granulated sea stars sometimes ride solo‚ but they can also be found in gangs.They are carnivorous animals with mouths concealed beneath their doughy bodies‚ which have earned them the nickname "doughboy starfish" in honor of the Pillsbury Doughboy. It typically has the appearance of a classic five-armed sea star‚ but this can be deformed by parasitic limpets that are partial to clinging to their underside. Admittedly‚ these bits don't help its case.Image credit: Tonydiver via iNaturalist‚ CC BY-NC 4.0Its five “arms” are a great demonstration of the five-fold symmetry we see in starfish‚ which have no clear head or tail. If you were ever wondering where to stick a hat on one‚ you might gamble on the center‚ but in truth‚ these animals are basically all head.The staggering discovery was made in a 2023 study that used a combination of imaging and genetic techniques to create a 3D atlas of starfish gene expression. This included micro-CT scanning‚ which illustrated the skeleton‚ muscles‚ and digestive‚ nervous‚ and water vascular systems of a starfish‚ combined with RNA tomography and in situ hybridization – staining genetic material with fluorescent labels – to show which genes were being expressed and where.  Their efforts revealed that the “head” of a starfish is‚ in fact‚ composed of headlike regions distributed in the center of its “body” and the center of each of its five limbs. Thus‚ what we think of as a starfish’s body is actually more like a head.“It’s as if the sea star is completely missing a trunk‚ and is best described as just a head crawling along the seafloor‚” said Laurent Formery‚ lead author of the new starfish study‚ in a statement. “It’s not at all what scientists have assumed about these animals.”So before you go branding the granulated sea star a cluster of penises or the Pillsbury Doughboy‚ have a bit of respect and see it for the example of one of nature’s strangest heads that it truly is.

What are the Monopoly Go Cold Snap rewards? Another day‚ another new event for the online board game. It's a wonder anyone can keep up with all these free goodies on offer. This time around‚ we see the return of Peg-E tokens and another full 30 minutes of High Roller bonuses. Monopoly Go Cold Snap is just the latest in a long line of Monopoly Go events during the current season‚ so do check back often. Before you go‚ though‚ don't forget to check out the latest Monopoly Go dice links for some bonus goodies‚ and you can also give our list of the best online board games a glance while you're here. Continue reading Monopoly Go Cold Snap rewards MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best board games‚ Free PC games‚ Monopoly Go dice

In this guide‚ we'll show you how to set up PC fans‚ and take you through the principles of PC airflow and cooling. From knowing which way round to mount your fans‚ to where you should put the radiator for your AIO cooler‚ airflow is the most critical consideration when building your PC. If your components get too hot‚ they can often throttle‚ resulting in slower performance‚ and even shortened lifespans. Thankfully‚ ensuring that your case has good airflow is relatively simple‚ especially if you use one of the best PC fan models from the likes of a reputable manufacturer such as Corsair or Fractal Design. As long as there's a decent passage of air traveling across your rig‚ you can generally deal with the heat dumped into your case by your graphic card and CPU cooler. Continue reading PC airflow 101 – how to set up your case fans MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best graphics card‚ Best gaming PC‚ Best SSD for gaming

If you're looking for a new monitor‚ you might be wondering which one to buy and who wins when it comes to the VS vs IPS vs TN fight. In this feature‚ we'll take you through all the differences between the main three monitor panel types to equip you with the knowledge you need. Before we get started‚ though let's put today's monitor panels in context. Not so long ago‚ your PC monitor choice was simple. If you wanted a fast gaming screen you got a TN liquid crystal display (LCD) with a fast refresh rate and low response time‚ which invariably meant compromising on image quality. Meanwhile‚ if image quality was a key concern‚ you could stick to slower screens that used higher-quality IPS or VA LCD panels. However‚ LCD monitors have now improved across the board. You can now find a wide range of displays that provide both good image quality and speedy gaming performance‚ as you'll find in our best gaming monitor guide. This variety is great‚ but it does make picking a monitor much more complicated. So‚ to help you make sense of it all‚ we’re going to explain how an LCD works‚ and take you through the differences between the various panel types and their key benefits and downsides. Continue reading VA vs IPS vs TN – here’s the best monitor panel right now MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best graphics card‚ Best gaming PC‚ Best SSD for gaming

Google has finally updated the disclaimer on the Incognito Mode of its Chrome browser to more accurately reflect the data that it still collects from users. This Google Chrome Incognito Mode update follows a class action lawsuit that sought $5 billion in punitive damage on behalf of users previously hoodwinked into thinking Incognito Mode was truly private. Continue reading Google Chrome finally admits that you’re still trackable in Incognito MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best graphics card‚ Best gaming PC‚ Best SSD for gaming

When is Enshrouded coming out? As one of the most wishlisted games on Steam right now following a hugely successful showing at 2023's Steam Next Fest‚ Enshrouded is a survival game that you need to have on your radar. So‚ here’s everything you need to know about exactly when you can play it. Continue reading When is Enshrouded coming out? PC release times MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best RPG games‚ Best survival games‚ Upcoming PC games