Some scientists believe that our hands can tell us a lot about ourselves, as researchers have linked the length of the fingers to their owner’s personality and psychological and physical characteristics.
The difference between the lengths of your fingers may seem somewhat random, but scientists believe it could be an indicator of how you developed in the womb, so they studied what is called the 2D:4D ratio, which is the ratio between the index finger and the ring finger.
Dr. and mathematician from the University of New England, Ben Serpell, told the British newspaper “Daily Mail” that “the 2D:4D ratio is linked to the mother’s hormone levels, and it originates in the womb early at the end of the first three months of pregnancy, and is affected by exposure to testosterone before birth.”
He explained, “Because testosterone is an androgenic hormone, which means that it imparts what many consider masculine traits, women usually have a higher 2D:4D ratio than men,” noting that “prenatal testosterone is associated with testosterone sensitivity later in life.” life".
Because this ratio is linked to the male sex hormone, researchers often focus on traits thought to be linked to testosterone sensitivity.
If your ring finger is much longer than your index finger, it means your 2D:4D ratio is low. In Dr. Serpell's research, he identified a low ratio as a potential sign of success among athletes, surgeons, journalists, and politicians. The reason was that testosterone response is linked to the ability to receive and process information.
The index finger is longer than the ring finger
On the other hand, you may have a longer index finger than your ring finger, and in addition to being associated with all low-ratio traits, some studies have looked specifically at this trait.
It is believed that a high 2D:4D ratio is a sign of lower testosterone and higher levels of exposure to estrogen while in the womb. Studies indicate that a higher percentage is associated with higher levels of pain in different situations.
How do you measure your 2D:4D ratio?
To measure your finger, straighten it and look at your palm. There will likely be wrinkles at the base of your index and ring fingers. Your index finger will likely have a single wrinkle, and your ring finger will likely have a band of wrinkles.
Select the crease closest to the palm and choose a point on the crease midway across the base of the finger. Mark it with a pen. Measure from mark to fingertip.
Austrian scientists decipher the "infrastructure" of the smallpox virus
The media office of the Institute of Science and Technology in Austria announced that scientists have been able to decipher the structure of the main protein, the “building blocks” of the essence of the viruses that cause smallpox.
The office indicates that this will make it possible to create new drugs against several types of smallpox viruses at the same time.
To obtain the three-dimensional structure of the virus nucleus, scientists used a live smallpox vaccine, advanced examination methods with electron microscopy, and the capabilities of the AlphaFold neural network. The neural network helped Austrian biologists quickly determine the 3D structure of specific amino acid chains.
Professor Florian Shor points out that inside the viral particles there is a “vault”, in the depths of which the genome of the pathogen is stored. New drugs can prevent the assembly of a pathogen's genome or prevent the "vault" from opening at all, suppressing potential replication of poxviruses.
Experiments and studies have shown that the outer shell of the virus nucleus of the live smallpox vaccine consists of repetitive elements, and is shaped like a dumbbell or peanut pod. The viral protein A10 forms its basis. Interactions between triplets of its molecules lead to the formation of the primitive building blocks that make up the envelope of the smallpox virus. The structure of the A10 protein is almost identical to the causative agents of smallpox, monkeypox virus, rat pox, and others. Researchers hope that, after studying the features of the structure of this peptide and its interactions with other components in the virus nucleus, they will be able to create new types of medicines to treat smallpox.
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