The days blend together, the months lurch ahead, and we have no idea what time it is. The virus has created its own clock.
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Friday, May 8, 2020
Thursday, May 7, 2020
Researchers map tiny twists in “magic-angle” graphene
Made of a single layer of carbon atoms linked in a hexagonal honeycomb pattern, graphene’s structure is simple and seemingly delicate. Since its discovery in 2004, scientists have found that graphene is in fact exceptionally strong. And although graphene is not a metal, it conducts electricity at ultrahigh speeds, better than most metals.
In 2018, MIT scientists led by Pablo Jarillo-Herrero and Yuan Cao discovered that when two sheets of graphene are stacked together at a slightly offset “magic” angle, the new “twisted” graphene structure can become either an insulator, completely blocking electricity from flowing through the material, or paradoxically, a superconductor, able to let electrons fly through without resistance. It was a monumental discovery that helped launch a new field known as “twistronics,” the study of electronic behavior in twisted graphene and other materials.
Now the MIT team reports their latest advancements in graphene twistronics, in two papers published this week in the journal Nature.
In the first study, the researchers, along with collaborators at the Weizmann Institute of Science, have imaged and mapped an entire twisted graphene structure for the first time, at a resolution fine enough that they are able to see very slight variations in local twist angle across the entire structure.
The results revealed regions within the structure where the angle between the graphene layers veered slightly away from the average offset of 1.1 degrees.
The team detected these variations at an ultrahigh angular resolution of 0.002 degree. That’s equivalent to being able to see the angle of an apple against the horizon from a mile away.
They found that structures with a narrower range of angle variations had more pronounced exotic properties, such as insulation and superconductivity, versus structures with a wider range of twist angles.
“This is the first time an entire device has been mapped out to see what is the twist angle at a given region in the device,” says Jarillo-Herrero, the Cecil and Ida Green Professor of Physics at MIT. “And we see that you can have a little bit of variation and still show superconductivity and other exotic physics, but it can’t be too much. We now have characterized how much twist variation you can have, and what is the degradation effect of having too much.”
In the second study, the team report creating a new twisted graphene structure with not two, but four layers of graphene. They observed that the new four-layer magic-angle structure is more sensitive to certain electric and magnetic fields compared to its two-layer predecessor. This suggests that researchers may be able to more easily and controllably study the exotic properties of magic-angle graphene in four-layer systems.
“These two studies are aiming to better understand the puzzling physical behavior of magic-angle twistronics devices,” says Cao, a graduate student at MIT. “Once understood, physicists believe these devices could help design and engineer a new generation of high-temperature superconductors, topological devices for quantum information processing, and low-energy technologies.”
Like wrinkles in plastic wrap
Since Jarillo-Herrero and his group first discovered magic-angle graphene, others have jumped at the chance to observe and measure its properties. Several groups have imaged magic-angle structures, using scanning tunneling microscopy, or STM, a technique that scans a surface at the atomic level. However, researchers have only been able to scan small patches of magic-angle graphene, spanning at most a few hundred square nanometers, using this approach.
“Going over an entire micron-scale structure to look at millions of atoms is something that STM is not best suited for,” Jarillo-Herrero says. “In principle it could be done, but would take an enormous amount of time.”
So the group consulted with researchers at the Weizmann Institute for Science, who had developed a scanning technique they call “scanning nano-SQUID,” where SQUID stands for Superconducting Quantum Interference Device. Conventional SQUIDs resemble a small bisected ring, the two halves of which are made of superconducting material and joined together by two junctions. Fit around the tip of a device similar to an STM, a SQUID can measure a sample’s magnetic field flowing through the ring at a microscopic scale. The Weizmann Institute researchers scaled down the SQUID design to sense magnetic fields at the nanoscale.
When magic-angle graphene is placed in a small magnetic field, it generates persistent currents across the structure, due to the formation of what are known as “Landau levels.” These Landau levels, and hence the persistent currents, are very sensitive to the local twist angle, for instance, resulting in a magnetic field with a different magnitude, depending on the precise value of the local twist angle. In this way, the nano-SQUID technique can detect regions with tiny offsets from 1.1 degrees.
“It turned out to be an amazing technique that can pick up miniscule angle variations of 0.002 degrees away from 1.1 degrees,” Jarillo-Herrero says. “This was very good for mapping magic-angle graphene.”
The group used the technique to map two magic-angle structures: one with a narrow range of twist variations, and another with a broader range.
“We placed one sheet of graphene on top of another, similar to placing plastic wrap on top of plastic wrap,” Jarillo-Herrero says. “You would expect there would be wrinkles, and regions where the two sheets would be a bit twisted, some less twisted, just as we see in graphene.”
They found that the structure with a narrower range of twist variations had more pronounced properties of exotic physics, such as superconductivity, compared with the structure with more twist variations.
“Now that we can directly see these local twist variations, it might be interesting to study how to engineer variations in twist angles to achieve different quantum phases in a device,” Cao says.
Tunable physics
Over the past two years, researchers have experimented with different configurations of graphene and other materials to see whether twisting them at certain angles would bring out exotic physical behavior. Jarillo-Herrero’s group wondered whether the fascinating physics of magic-angle graphene would hold up if they expanded the structure, to offset not two, but four graphene layers.
Since graphene’s discovery nearly 15 years ago, a huge amount of information has been revealed about its properties, not just as a single sheet, but also stacked and aligned in multiple layers — a configuration that is similar to what you find in graphite, or pencil lead.
“Bilayer graphene — two layers at a 0-degree angle from each-other — is a system whose properties we understand well,” Jarillo-Herrero says. “Theoretical calculations have shown that in a bilayer-on-top-of-bilayer structure, the range of angles over which interesting physics would happen is larger. So this type of structure might be more forgiving in terms of making devices.”
Partly inspired by this theoretical possibility, the researchers fabricated a new magic-angle structure, offsetting one graphene bilayer with another bilayer by 1.1 degrees. They then connected the new “double-layer” twisted structure to a battery, applied a voltage, and measured the current that flowed through the device as they placed the structure under various conditions, such as a magnetic field, and a perpendicular electric field.
Just like magic-angle structures made from two layers of graphene, the new four-layered structure showed an exotic insulating behavior. But uniquely, the researchers were able to tune this insulating property up and down with an electric field — something that’s not possible with two-layered magic-angle graphene.
“This system is highly tunable, meaning we have a lot of control, which will allow us to study things we cannot understand with monolayer magic-angle graphene,” Cao says.
“It’s still very early in the field,” Jarillo-Herrero says. “For the moment, the physics community is still fascinated just by the phenomena of it. People fantasize about what type of devices we could make but realize it’s still too early and we have so much yet to learn about these systems.”
This research was funded, in part, by the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and the Sagol Weizmann-MIT Bridge Program.
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Illinois state representative stopped by police for wearing mask
Illinois state representative Kam Buckner, like many Americans, was simply trying to comply with the CDC and state and city mandates to wear a cloth covering or mask over his face to protect himself and others.
While out shopping on Sunday, reports ABC7 Chicago, Buckner was asked by a police officer to show the receipt for the items he’d purchased and to see his ID. He did what the officer asked.
But in a series of tweets, Buckner described how the situation deteriorated from there.
The revelation of reality sometimes stings in the most unassuming ways. Last Friday, @GovPritzker‘s Exec Order requiring facemasks for those who venture outside went into effect. This EO was the right thing to do to protect Illinoisians in the face of this deadly virus. 1/16
— Kam Buckner (@RepKamBuckner) May 4, 2020
Yesterday, however, the mask reminded of the gratuitous & unwanted attn given to those of us of a certain demographic while engaging in normal social acts and how quickly the objective can turn into the subjective based on implicit bias and prejudice 3/16
— Kam Buckner (@RepKamBuckner) May 4, 2020
When he asked the officer, who he says was in uniform, he was told that “People are using the coronavirus to do bad things. I couldn’t see your face, man. You looked like you were up to something.”
Buckner went on to say that the encounter, which he says happened outside a store in the South Loop, left him wondering if as a self-described 6-foot, 4-inch tattooed black man from Chicago’s South Side, he was vulnerable to racial profiling based on his appearance. He says that when he’s not working, his usual attire is a hoodie, jeans and Jordans.
Bucker went on to say he struggled with sharing his experience publicly because it’s happened to him before.
But he felt compelled to do so because he knows that some Black men will be targeted for looking like ‘they’re up to something’ just for complying with a state order to protect their own health and that of others.
It bothers me most because I can’t help but think of the dangers that are inherent for a number of black men who are just adhering to the mask rule and by doing so, look like they are “up to something.” This is not in the least bit an absolute indictment on any group. 14/16
— Kam Buckner (@RepKamBuckner) May 4, 2020
Illinois Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton, also African-American, tweeted Buckner that she was sorry for what happened and agreeing that there were many inequities exposed by the coronavirus that still needed to be addressed.
Governor JB Pritzer acknowledged the incident as well.
“It’s something that we’re looking into. We obviously believe that there is discriminatory behavior taking place here so we are going to try to make sure that we try to address it,” Pritzer said.
The Chicago Police department issued their own statement, according to ABC7 Chicago.
Based on the limited information supplied to the Chicago Police Department, we are currently unable to authenticate that this incident involved a CPD member.
All investigatory stops must be predicated on reasonable suspicion that a crime has occurred, is occurring or is about to occur. Anyone who believes that they may have been treated unfairly can submit a complaint to a CPD supervisor, CPD’s Office of Internal Affairs and/or the Civilian Office of Police Accountability.
It is not Buckner’s first run-in with Chicago police. In 2019, he was arrested and charged with a DUI when police found him asleep behind the wheel at an intersection, reports Thecentersquare.com. At the time, he told police he was “exhausted” but failed a field sobriety test.
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2 men charged with murder in shooting death of Ahmaud Arbery
SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — A white father and son accused of fatally shooting a black man on a residential Georgia street were arrested Thursday and charged with murder and aggravated assault after a national outcry that no arrests had been made, authorities said.
Gregory McMichael, 64, and Travis McMichael, 34, will be booked into the Glynn County Jail, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said in a news release.
Ahmaud Arbery was killed Feb. 23 just outside the port city of Brunswick. The men who pursued him in a pickup truck told police they believed Arbery was a burglar.
READ MORE: Supporters organize 2.3-mile run in honor of Ahmaud Arbery
The GBI opened an investigation this week after the video was posted online by a Brunswick radio station. Republican Gov. Brian Kemp told reporters that he’s confident the agency will “find the truth.”
Kemp on Thursday described as “absolutely horrific” a cellphone video that appears to show a white father and son fatally shooting a black man on a residential street as the national outcry over the slaying escalated.
Arbery was killed Feb. 23 just outside the port city of Brunswick. The men who pursued him in a pickup truck told police they believed Arbery was a burglar.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation opened an investigation this week after the video was posted online by a Brunswick radio station. Republican Gov. Brian Kemp told reporters that he’s confident the agency will “find the truth.”
“Earlier this week, I watched the video depicting Mr. Arbery’s last moments alive,” Kemp told a news conference in Atlanta. “I can tell you it’s absolutely horrific, and Georgians deserve answers.”
Arbery’s mother, Wanda Cooper Jones, has said she believes her son, a former football player, was just jogging in the Satilla Shores neighborhood before he was killed on a Sunday afternoon.
Gregory McMichael told police he suspected the runner was the same man filmed by a security camera committing a break-in. He and his grown son, Travis McMichael, grabbed guns and began a pursuit in the truck.
The video shows a black man running at a jogging pace on the left side of a road. A truck is parked in the road ahead of him. One of the white men is inside the pickup’s bed. The other is standing beside the open driver’s side door.
READ MORE: Video of Ahmaud Arbery’s shooting while jogging draws more outrage
The runner crosses the road to pass the pickup on the passenger side, then crosses back in front of the truck. A gunshot sounds, and the video shows the runner grappling with a man in the street over what appears to be a shotgun or rifle. A second shot can be heard, and the runner can be seen punching the man. A third shot is fired at point-blank range. The runner staggers a few feet and falls face down.
Brunswick defense attorney Alan Tucker identified himself Thursday as the person who shared the video with the radio station. In a statement, Tucker said he does not currently represent anyone involved in the case. He said he released the video “because my community was being ripped apart by erroneous accusations and assumptions.”
Tucker did not say how he obtained the video. He did not immediately respond to a phone message or an email.
A phone number listed for Gregory McMichael has been disconnected. The Associated Press could not find a phone listing for Travis McMichael.
The outcry over the killing reached the White House, where President Donald Trump offered condolences Thursday to Arbery’s family.
“It’s a very sad thing,” Trump said in the Oval Office, “but I will be given a full report this evening.”
Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has called Arbery’s death a “murder.” During an online roundtable Thursday, Biden compared the video to seeing Arbery “lynched before our very eyes.”
Glynn County District Attorney Jackie Johnson recused herself from the case because Gregory McMichael worked as an investigator in her office. He retired last year.
The shooting is now in the hands of an outside prosecutor, Tom Durden, who said Monday that he wants a grand jury to decide whether charges are warranted. With Georgia courts still largely closed because of the coronavirus, the soonest that could happen is mid-June.
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Maxine Waters gets real about COVID-19, reveals she lost sister to virus
The devastating toll of COVID-19 on the Black community has hit home for Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA).
In an interview with theGrio on Thursday, Rep. Waters shared that her sister recently passed away from coronavirus.
“It is one of the most painful things that I’ve ever had to experience in my life,” Rep. Waters told theGrio. “She had suffered. And so we are going through a very difficult time. It was not easy, but in many ways, I’m so glad she’s out of pain.”
READ MORE: Maxine Waters slams Trump in fiery tweets: ‘You incompetent idiot!’
Homegoing services will be held in her hometown of St. Louis, Missouri.
The congresswoman recently offered an emotion-filled tribute to her sister on Capitol Hill during a debate over a stimulus relief bill.
Rep. Waters said that her sister, like many African-American seniors, was living in an assisted care facility, which the congresswoman said could be a dangerous environment for the vulnerable.
“The nursing home is the only place we have for many of our seniors, many of whom have outlived their families,” Rep. Waters told theGrio. “That’s where they go. And now these nursing homes are like a petri dish for the continued development of this virus that is killing us.”
Rep. Maxine Waters: "I am going to take a moment to dedicate this legislation to my dear sister who is dying in a hospital in St. Louis, Missouri, right now infected by the Coronavirus." pic.twitter.com/sX58UK1A3L
— The Hill (@thehill) April 23, 2020
Rep. Waters said that she has lost several friends and loved ones to coronavirus, including former Houston state representative., Al Edwards, who led the effort to make Juneteenth an official holiday.
“Al was truly a terrific legislator, an organizer, and a visionary. He did well. He will be recorded very faithfully in history,” she reflected.
The congresswoman’s personal losses have only further strengthened her conviction that Black Americans must prioritize their health.
READ MORE: Angela Yee talks racism against Black and Asian communities amid coronavirus pandemic
“I want Black people to do everything that they can to take care of themselves,” Waters said.
“I want them to be aware that they gotta have masks. They can’t go out. They can’t party. They can’t be in groups. I want them to isolate as much as they can. I want us to honor all of that. I want us to be patient with all of that.”
Rep. Waters said she is working with the housing authority in LA County to supply residents of public housing with masks, which may be hard to acquire or unaffordable.
The congresswoman also recently led the effort to set aside $60 billion dollars of $310 billion dollar PPP coronavirus relief funding for minority, women-owned and small businesses. She emphasized that both the economic well-being and physical health of the community, are key for survival.
“In the final analysis, you’ve got to take care of yourself,” she said, “because a lot of people out there don’t care about you.”
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Kobe Bryant death sparks bill to make it illegal to share crime scene photos
The tragic death of NBA star Kobe Bryant on Jan. 26 rocked the world. The legend, his daughter-Gianna Bryant, and seven others were killed when the helicopter they were riding in crashed into a mountainside outside Calabasas, California.
The tragic loss was exacerbated when photos from the crime scene were shared by several Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies.
READ MORE: LA county sheriff admits deputies took, deleted Kobe Bryant crash photos
At the end of February, Vanessa Bryant shared in a now-deleted Instagram post that she was “absolutely devastated,” by the reports.
Now, there may be a change on the horizon in response.
On Monday, California Assemblymember Mike A. Gipson, a Democrat representing Carson, introduced a bill titled AB-2655, “Invasion of Privacy: First Responders.” The bill would make it a crime to share photos from a crime scene. Under the bill, a first responder who is found to have shared photos of a body from a crime scene or autopsy, “for any purpose other than an official law enforcement,” would face a misdemeanor charge.
The offense would carry a maximum punishment of one year in jail and a $5,000 fine.
In reference to the Bryant photos, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva told NBC News on Monday that his “No.1 priority was to make sure those photos no longer exist.” He did not say whether or not the officers were punished. He did say that the officers involved were identified.
“We’ve communicated in no uncertain terms that the behavior is inexcusable,” Villanueva said, “I mean, people are grieving for the loss of their loved ones. To have that on top of what they’ve already gone through is unconscionable.”
READ MORE: Vanessa Bryant files docs to rush probate case amid coronavirus pandemic
In a statement, Vanessa Bryant’s attorney Gary C. Robb said, “We are demanding that those responsible for these alleged actions face the harshest possible discipline and that their identities be brought to light, to ensure that the photos are not further disseminated.”
Kobe Bryant was posthumously elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame just two months after his death.
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Michigan Security Guard Killed Over Face Mask Argument Honored as Parent of the Year
The Michigan security guard who was killed after refusing to allow a customer to enter the Family Dollar where he worked was recently named parent of the year at Madison Academy in Burton, according to ABC News.
Calvin Munerlyn, 43, died last week after he was shot while working as a security guard at Family Dollar in Flint.
“When we need something, we are going to call ‘Duper.’ When we need somebody to do security at graduation, we need somebody to come up fix his famous oodles, so he would come up during lunch and fix those. Fundraisers, whatever it is that we need, Mr. Munerlyn was there for the kids,” Madison Academy Principal Christel Drew told ABC 12 News.
“We have four of their children here, two of their other children graduated from Madison Academy, so the Munerlyns are our family,” said Drew, who added that the award would be renamed the “Super Duper” parent award in Calvin Murelyn’s honor.
On Friday, Murelyn told Sharmel Teague’s daughter she couldn’t enter the store because she lacked a face mask, according to Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton. Before leaving, Teague, 45, got into a heated argument and spat on Murelyn. Shortly after, two men entered.
Teague, her 44-year-old husband, Larry, 44, and Ramonyea Bishop, 23 were charged with first-degree premeditated murder and gun charges. Larry Teague is also charged with violating Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s executive order mandating that all customers and employees must wear face coverings inside grocery stores, Leyton said. In most states, a face mask is required to enter a store to try to stop the spread of the deadly coronavirus.
Leyton announced charges against three suspects in Munerlyn’s shooting on Monday. Two of them, 44-year-old Larry Edward Teague and 23-year-old Ramonyea Bishop, remain at large.
“It is important that the governor’s order be respected and adhered to, and for someone to lose their life over it is beyond comprehension,” Leyton said in a statement.
As of Monday, Michigan has a reported 43,754 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 4,049 deaths due to complications from the coronvavirus.
“The hostile tone that we have seen in recent days on television and in social media can permeate our society in ways we sometimes don’t fully realize or anticipate,” Leyton told reporters Monday. “Decisions like staying home when we can, wearing a mask when going to the store, and staying a safe distance from those around us—these should not be political arguments. They don’t necessitate acts of defiance, and we simply cannot devolve into an us versus them mentality.”
Munerlyn’s mother, Bernadett, said she wants justice for her son.Ho
“They didn’t have to take my baby and it wasn’t that serious,” she said during a candlelight vigil. “All you people just have to do is listen to the law, listen to the governor. Just stay home. If you don’t have to come out, then you wouldn’t need a mask unless you’re out getting groceries or necessities. All my baby was doing was his job.”
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Indianapolis police fatally shoot Sean Reed, 21, during Facebook Live
Breaking news is coming out of Indianapolis, Indiana where the city’s Metropolitan Police Department has confirmed that a man was shot and killed by a police officer on Wednesday.
In a report from the Indianapolis Star, police shot a man after a police chase that was captured on Facebook Live.
READ MORE: Video of Ahmaud Arbery’s shooting while jogging draws more outrage
In the report, and an interview with Chris Bailey, the assistant chief of police in Indianapolis, the IMPD states that officers observed a man recklessly driving a grey Toyota Corolla almost striking another vehicle. Officers began following the car in unmarked vehicles which fell back after marked cars joined the pursuit during which speeds allegedly reached up to 90 miles per hour.
The chase was called off after 10 minutes due to the dangerous speeds, but an officer later saw the car parked outside a business.
An officer engaged the suspect who started running. Within moments, the officer reported shots fired.
READ MORE: LAPD officer repeatedly punches man in the head in shocking video
Much of the event was captured on Facebook Live by a young, shirtless man who has not been identified by the IMPD, but family members have identified him as 21-year-old Sean Reed.
In the video, allegedly captured by Reed on his cellphone. The young man is heard pleading for someone to “Please come get me.” He then says, “I just parked this m____f__er. I’m gone!” The camera then shakes as he runs from the police. In the video, Reed speaks directly into the camera saying that he doesn’t want to go to jail.
In the video, at least 14 shots are heard to ring out as sirens blare in the background.
The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police allege that shots were exchanged between both Reed and the officer, who was not identified. However, police did disclose that he too is African American. They also allege that a gun was found near Reed-the alleged driver.
The IMPD also alleges that the officer discharged his taser.
The Facebook Live video was watched by more than 4000 people who left comments like, “OMG!,” and “WTF!”
READ MORE: Mother of Atatiana Jefferson dies months after her daughter’s tragic police shooting
By nightfall, over 100 people had gathered near the scene many chanting, “No justice, No peace!”
In a morbid final comment on the video, a man off-camera who has not been identified as a police officer said of Reed, “Looks like it’s going to be a closed casket, homie.”
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NFL’s Earl Thomas held at gunpoint by wife after caught cheating: report
According to court documents obtained by TMZ, 7-time Pro Bowl defensive back, Earl Thomas was held at gunpoint by his wife Nina Thomas in an incident on April 13.
The documents allege that in the early morning hours, police got a call about a disturbance and discovered Nina chasing the Baltimore Ravens star around a car with a knife in her hand.
READ MORE: Ex-NFL star Darren McFadden had gun and taser pointed at him during DWI arrest
In the documents, Nina says that her husband left their home following an argument. After he left the home, she logged into his Snapchat account and discovered a video of him and another woman.
Using her investigative skills, she was able to track his location and called up two girlfriends to come and help her confront her husband, the mistress, and his brother, Seth Thomas.
And, she grabbed Earl’s 9mm Beretta pistol.
Upon arriving at the Airbnb that Earl and Seth had rented, Nina found the two brothers in bed with women. In her own words, she stated that she put the gun to her husband’s head intending to “scare him.” She said that she “took out the magazine thinking that the gun could not fire.”
But, there was a round in the chamber.
Fortunately, Earl was able to wrestle the gun away from his wife. In true millennial fashion, the entire incident was recorded in cell phone footage.
Nina Thomas and her two friends were all arrested. Nina was booked for burglary of a residence with the intent to commit aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and family violence. She was able to bond out of jail. She was also ordered to stay 200 yards away from her husband and his alleged mistress.
READ MORE: Mistress shoots boyfriend on Facebook Live after he refuses to divorce his wife
For the most part, Earl Thomas told a story that was similar to his wife’s. He also alleged that Nina hit him numerous times. In a video statement, he said, “Instead of talking about us, just keep us in your prayers.” He says that he and his wife are communicating and that he is seeing his children.
Earl and Nina Thomas were married in April of 2016.
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New Study: The Coronavirus Has Mutated and Is More Contagious
According to a study, the coronavirus has mutated and the new, dominant strain spreading across the U.S. appears to be even more contagious.
As reported by NBC News, the study was conducted by the Los Alamos National Laboratory. The new strain began to spread in Europe in early February before migrating to other countries. The strain hit the U.S. and Canada in late March.
The researchers warned in the study that if the coronavirus doesn’t subside in the summer the situation could get worse. Mutations of the virus could potentially limit the effectiveness of coronavirus vaccines currently being developed.
Bette Korber, a computational biologist at Los Alamos and lead author of the study, acknowledged the news is serious, but added the worldwide effort for a vaccine has its advantages.
“This is hard news,” Korber, told NBC News and wrote on her Facebook page.
“But please don’t only be disheartened by it,” she continued. “Our team at LANL was able to document this mutation and its impact on transmission only because of a massive global effort of clinical people and experimental groups, who make new sequences of the virus (SARS-CoV-2) in their local communities available as quickly as they possibly can.”
The study has yet to be peer-reviewed, but the news is of “urgent concern” considering more than 100 vaccines are currently being developed.
Microsoft CEO Bill Gates is also currently spending billions to fund seven possible vaccines.
To find the mutation, researchers received help from Duke University and the University of Sheffield in England. Together, they analyzed thousands of coronavirus sequences collected by the Global Initiative for Sharing All Influenza.
The initiative promotes the rapid sharing of data from all influenza viruses and the coronavirus. To date, the researchers have identified 14 mutations.
The mutation described in the study impacts the spike protein, a multifunctional mechanism that allows the virus to enter the host.
Another study published in the journal Nature Research found the coronavirus lingers in the air of crowded spaces with poor ventilation such as elevators and subways.
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This Entrepreneur Is Providing New Solutions For Student Housing
One of the most difficult problems students deal with when they are in college is finding housing, whether they are living on or off-campus. For Ivy League-grad-turned-entrepreneur Derrick Milam, his experiences with student housing as an undergraduate directly influenced his desire to create a company that provides students with easier and affordable solutions.
Milam is the co-founder and COO of Vie Management, a student housing financing, acquisition, development, and management company. After graduating from Princeton University with a degree in public policy in addition to attending law and business school at Columbia University, Milam’s passion for commercial real estate is what drove him to look at business opportunities in the field after seeing his father lose the land he fought to earn.
“My experience at Princeton set the foundation for my interest in real estate development and, more importantly, my effort to serve underserved communities,” said Milam in an interview with BLACK ENTERPRISE. “My father was a sharecropper and the first to graduate college in his family. He and my mother made it possible for me to attend Princeton where I was, as a result of financial aid, fortunate to study, socialize and even compete with the best as the first of my family to attend an Ivy League institution. I learned to set expectations for performance, the same expectations I set for my company today.”
From there, he used his background and the knowledge gained from experience in economic development. He says that his goal is for students to ultimately feel at home while they focus on their studies. “Our goal is to build intentional communities and an environment that enables students to thrive,” continued Milam. “Specifically, our firm develops communities with an emphasis on health, fitness, education, and social interaction.” His firm has since garnered investors from Asia and the Middle East, securing $120 million to use for funding.
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, his company has taken steps to ensure the health and safety of students who are unable to return home from school due to closures from the viral outbreak. “COVID-19 immediately changed our business and accelerated some emerging industry trends that will greatly influence our future performance,” he said. “The first significant change is the relationship between private industry and government. [The ] government has designated housing as an essential industry in the effort to flatten the curve, so we have modified our operations to comply with these temporary strict regulations and requirements. We have embraced this change because we are empowered to create measures at the community level to further promote the health and wellness of our residents and teammates.”
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