Understanding the contagiousness of Covid-19 strains: A geometric approach.

Protein-protein interaction occurs on surface patches with some degree of complementary geometric and chemical features. Building on this understanding, this study endeavors to characterize the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus at the morphological and geometrical levels in its Alpha, Delta, and Omicron variants. In particular, the affinity between different SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins and the ACE2 receptor present on the membrane of the human respiratory system cells is investigated.

Deep brain stimulation for autism spectrum disorder.

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a medical treatment that aims to obtain therapeutic effects by applying chronic electrical impulses in specific brain structures and neurological circuits. Over the years, DBS has been studied for the treatment of many psychiatric disorders. Scientific research on the use of DBS in people with autism has focused this interest mainly on treatment-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder, drug-resistant epilepsy, self-injurious behaviors (SIB), and aggressive behaviors toward the self.