ScienceDaily: Technology - September 23, 2024
Top technology research news
Better than blood tests? Nanoparticle potential found for assessing kidneys
Researchers found that X-rays of the kidneys using gold nanoparticles as a contrast agent might be more accurate in detecting kidney disease than standard laboratory blood tests.
Researchers discover how enzymes 'tie the knot'
Lasso peptides are natural products made by bacteria. Their unusual lasso shape endows them with remarkable stability, protecting them from extreme conditions. In a new study, researchers have constructed and tested models for how these peptides are made and demonstrated how this information might be used to advance lasso peptide-based drugs into the clinic.
New data science tool greatly speeds up molecular analysis of our environment
A research team has developed a computational workflow for analyzing large data sets in the field of metabolomics, the study of small molecules found within cells, biofluids, tissues, and entire ecosystems.
BESSY II: Heterostructures for spintronics
Spintronic devices work with spin textures caused by quantum-physical interactions. Scientists have now studied graphene-cobalt-iridium heterostructures at BESSY II. The results show how two desired quantum-physical effects reinforce each other in these heterostructures. This could lead to new spintronic devices based on these materials.
Demand-side actions could help construction sector deliver on net-zero targets
Researchers used a detailed mathematical model to demonstrate that the construction sector in the UK and Europe could almost eliminate its carbon emissions by 2060. This could be achieved through using state-of-the-art energy efficiency technologies to renovate existing properties and construct new ones.
What role does a tailwind play in cycling's 'Everesting'?
Within the cycling realm, 'to Everest' involves riding up and down the same mountain until your ascents total the elevation of Mt. Everest. A new record was set a few years ago, but a debate ensued about the strong tailwind the cyclist had on climbs. To what extent do the tailwind help a cyclist as they climb? Should limits be set on the allowed windspeed?
New testing system using Janus particles rapidly and accurately detects COVID-19
A research group has developed a new COVID-19 testing system using Janus particles -- microparticles with two sides possessing distinctive molecular properties. These particles are engineered to bind specifically to target antigens, such as viral proteins, creating a low-cost, accurate, and rapid means of testing for viral diseases. The system's versatility means it can potentially be used to test for other diseases and biomarkers linked to other conditions.
PTSD symptoms can be reduced through treatment including a video game
A single treatment session, which includes the video game Tetris, can reduce symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This has been shown in a new study carried out with healthcare professionals working during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Image: LENNAMATS/Shutterstock.com
Large language models (LLMs) have developed rapidly in recent years and are becoming an integral part of our everyday lives through applications like ChatGPT. An article explains the opportunities and risks that arise from the use of LLMs for our ability to collectively deliberate, make decisions, and solve problems.
Networks of Beliefs theory integrates internal and external dynamics
The beliefs we hold develop from a complex dance between our internal and external lives. A recent study uses well-known formalisms in statistical physics to model multiple aspects of belief-network dynamics. This multidimensional approach to modeling belief dynamics could offer new tools for tackling various real-world problems such as polarization or the spread of disinformation.
Volcanoes may help reveal interior heat on Jupiter moon
By staring into the hellish landscape of Jupiter's moon Io -- the most volcanically active location in the solar system -- astronomers have been able to study a fundamental process in planetary formation and evolution: tidal heating.
Engineers 3D print sturdy glass bricks for building structures
Engineers developed a new kind of reconfigurable masonry made from 3D-printed, recycled glass. The bricks could be reused many times over in building facades and internal walls.
AI model can reveal the structures of crystalline materials
Chemists have developed a generative AI model that can make it much easier to determine the structures of powdered crystal materials. The prediction model could help researchers characterize materials for use in batteries, magnets, and many other applications.
Innovating alloy production: A single step from ores to sustainable metals
Scientists design a process that merges metal extraction, alloying and processing into one single, eco-friendly step.
Revolutionary visible-light-antenna ligand enhances samarium-catalyzed reactions
Divalent samarium compounds are important reagents for reductive transformations in organic chemistry. However, currently, a high amount of this reagent is required in most reactions, and it also necessitates the use of harmful chemicals. To address this issue, researchers have developed a visible-light-antenna ligand that coordinates with stable trivalent samarium compounds, which, upon exposure to visible light, are reduced to divalent samarium, enabling milder conditions and smaller amounts of samarium for reactions.
Origami paper sensors could help early detection of infectious diseases in new simple, low-cost test
Researchers have developed an innovative new method for identifying biomarkers in wastewater using origami-paper sensors, enabling the tracking of infectious diseases using the camera in a mobile phone. The new test device is low-cost and fast and could dramatically change how public health measures are directed in any future pandemics.
Breakthrough in hydrogen research
Hydrogen is in great demand due to its promising role as a sustainable resource in the energy transition. Researchers have made an important breakthrough in the efficient and cost-effective provision of isotopes. These are the three forms in which hydrogen occurs in nature -- as protium, deuterium or tritium. The team has taken a big step towards realizing its dream of separating hydrogen isotopes at room temperature at low cost.
A new ventilator-on-a-chip model to study lung damage
Scientists are now able to directly compare the different kinds of injury that mechanical ventilation causes to cells in the lungs. In a new study, using a ventilator-on-a-chip model, researchers found that shear stress from the collapse and reopening of the air sacs is the most injurious type of damage.
Adhesive cortical device enables artifact-free neuromodulation for closed-loop epilepsy treatment
Researchers have developed a groundbreaking soft cortical device that could revolutionize the treatment of epilepsy and other neurological disorders.
The mystery of human wrinkles: What do the cells say?
A research team has successfully recreated the structure of wrinkles in biological tissue in vitro, uncovering the mechanisms behind their formation.
Coronavirus spike proteins can be selectively detected in 5 minutes
Can an immunoassay be created and selectively detect a virus in under 5 minutes? In a new study, researchers report that it can be done using a low-power laser like a laser pointer with a little liquid sample like a sesame seed.
Adhesive comes unglued on command
Modern integrated microelectronic devices are often poorly repairable and difficult to recycle. Debondable adhesives play a key role in the transition to a circular economy with sustainable resources, less waste, and intelligent repair/recycling strategies. A research team has now introduced a method for making adhesives that can be deactivated 'on command'.
Organic matter on Mars was formed from atmospheric formaldehyde
Researchers have developed a Martian atmospheric evolution model to propose a new theory about Mars's past.
New organic thermoelectric device that can harvest energy at room temperature
Thermoelectric devices are devices that can convert heat into electrical energy. Researchers have now developed a thermoelectric device composed of organic materials that can generate electricity from ambient temperature alone. The device is made from copper phthalocyanine and copper hexadecafluoro phthalocyanine as charge transfer materials and was combined with fullerenes and BCP as electron transport layers.
Low-carbon ammonia offers green alternative for agriculture and hydrogen transport
A new way of making ammonia by harnessing the unique power of liquid metal could lead to significant cuts in carbon emissions caused by production of the widely-used chemical. Ammonia is used in fertilizer to grow much of our food, but also plays a role in clean energy as a carrier to safely transport hydrogen.
Hexagonal electrohydraulic modules shape-shift into versatile robots
Scientists at MPI-IS have developed electrically driven robotic components, called HEXEL modules, which can snap together into high-speed reconfigurable robots. Magnets embedded along the outside of the modules allow them to electrically and mechanically connect to other modules, forming robots with diverse shapes and capabilities. HEXEL modules are a promising technology for use in resource-limited environments, such as on space or rescue missions, and can be used to construct versatile robots from redundant parts, altogether promoting a sustainable robot design.
Flexible circuits made with silk and graphene on the horizon
Ultra-thin layers of silk deposited on graphene in perfect alignment represent a key advance for the control needed in microelectronics and advanced neural network development.
Versatile knee exo for safer lifting
A set of knee exoskeletons, built with commercially available knee braces and drone motors, has been shown to help counteract fatigue in lifting and carrying tasks. They helped users maintain better lifting posture even when tired, a key factor in defending against on-the-job injuries, the researchers say.
NMR Spectroscopy: a faster way to determine the 'sense of rotation' of molecules
Researchers developed a new method that allows, for the first time, to elucidate the chiral structure of molecules -- the exact spatial arrangement of the atoms -- by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. This important step in the development of new drugs used to be a time-consuming process until now. The new method could now become a standard tool for the chemical and pharmaceutical industries.
Homemade 'play-putty' can read the body's electric signals
Magnifying deep space through the 'carousel lens'
A newly discovered cluster-scale strong gravitational lens, with a rare alignment of seven background lensed galaxies, provides a unique opportunity to study cosmology.
Artificial intelligence grunt work can be outsourced using a new blockchain-based framework
Researchers have developed a new framework to make complex AI tasks more accessible and transparent to users. The framework specializes in providing solutions to deep reinforcement learning (DRL) requests. The framework pairs developers, companies and individuals that have specific but out-of-reach AI needs with service providers who have the resources, expertise and models they require. The service is crowdsourced, built on a blockchain and uses a smart contract -- a contract with a pre-defined set of conditions built into the code -- to match the users with the appropriate service provider.
Why petting your cat leads to static electricity
Static electricity was first observed in 600 B.C., but researchers have struggled to explain how rubbing causes it. In 2019, researchers discovered nanosized surface deformations at play. The same researchers now say different electrical charges build up on the front and back parts of a sliding object, creating a current.
Researchers simplify design of optical atomic clocks without compromising performance
Researchers demonstrated a new optical atomic clock that uses a single laser and doesn't require cryogenic temperatures. By greatly reducing the size and complexity of atomic clocks without sacrificing accuracy and stability, this advance could lead to high-performance atomic clocks that are compact and portable.
Could your phone detect hepatic encephalopathy by listening to you read?
Research lays the groundwork for an app that may one day be able to listen to the patient read a paragraph and detect hepatic encephalopathy from their speech.
Like humans, artificial minds can 'learn by thinking'
Gargantuan black hole jets are biggest seen yet
Astronomers have spotted the biggest pair of black hole jets ever seen, spanning 23 million light-years in total length. That's equivalent to lining up 140 Milky Way galaxies back to back.
Researchers use machine learning to improve cardiovascular risk assessment
Researchers used advanced machine learning to increase the accuracy of a national cardiovascular risk calculator while preserving its interpretability and original risk associations.
NASA's Webb provides another look into galactic collisions
Astronomers examined galaxy Arp 107 which has revealed a wealth of information about star-formation and how two galaxies collided hundreds of million years ago. Arp 107 is located 465 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Leo Minor.
Researchers develop nanoparticle technology for targeted diagnosis and treatment of atherosclerosis
A team developed a nanoparticle technology that offers an effective solution to diagnose and treat atherosclerosis, in a non-invasive manner. Atherosclerosis is the build-up of plaque in the arteries which causes their narrowing and is a primary cause of ischemic heart disease (IHD) and ischemic stroke (IS), major contributors to deaths caused by cardiovascular diseases globally. This theranostic approach represents a significant advancement in the field of cardiovascular medicine as it offers a promising alternative to current medical practices for the management of atherosclerosis.
Kidney models-on-a-chip taking a step toward personalized medicine
A team developed a human iPS cell-derived kidney organoid-based proximal tubule-on-chip -- OPTECs-on-Chip -- that mimics in vivo renal physiology more closely than ever before. This model exhibits enhanced expression and polarity of essential renal transporters, making it a powerful tool for assessing drug transport and nephrotoxicity.
Measuring how much wood a wood shuck shucks with all-new wood shuck food
Researchers want to transform the natural and abundant resource wood into useful materials, and central to that is a molecular machine found in fungi that decomposes the complex raw material into its basic components. Researchers have come up with a test feed for the fungal molecular machine that allows them to observe its close-to-natural action, opening the door to improving it and to putting it to industrial application.
Template synthesis creates multilayered perovskites with unique ferroelectric behavior
A group synthesized multilayer perovskites with four and five layers, which were difficult to synthesize in the past. Analyzing the materials revealed a unique function in which they switch their ferroelectricity expression mechanism depending on whether the number of layers is odd or even. This property expands the uses of the material in the development of new electronic devices.
One in five UK doctors use AI chatbots, study finds
A survey reveals that a significant proportion of UK general practitioners (GPs) are integrating generative AI tools, such as ChatGPT, into their clinical workflows. The results highlight the rapidly growing role of artificial intelligence in healthcare -- a development that has the potential to revolutionize patient care but also raises significant ethical and safety concerns.
Constriction junction, do you function?
Scientists have shown that a type of qubit whose architecture is more amenable to mass production can perform comparably to qubits currently dominating the field. With a series of mathematical analyses, the scientists have provided a roadmap for simpler qubit fabrication that enables robust and reliable manufacturing of these quantum computer building blocks.
Creating full-taste, reduced alcohol wine and spirits: New trial opens realm of possibilities
A new study has successfully used porous liquids to achieve liquid-liquid separation for the first time, creating exciting potential for advancing both environmental sustainability and public health.
Nanotechnology: DNA origami with cargo function
Chemists present two studies that open up new possibilities for biotechnological applications.
Mapping out matter's building blocks in 3D
Deep inside what we perceive as solid matter, the landscape is anything but stationary. The interior of the building blocks of the atom's nucleus -- particles called hadrons that most of us would recognize as protons and neutrons -- are made up of a seething mixture of interacting quarks and gluons, known collectively as partons. The HadStruc collaboration has now come together to map out these partons and disentangle how they interact to form hadrons.
An OLED for compact, lightweight night vision
A new type of OLED (organic light emitting diode) could replace bulky night vision goggles with lightweight glasses, making them cheaper and more practical for prolonged use, according to researchers.
A smoother way to study 'twistronics'
A new article describes a fingernail-sized machine that can twist thin materials at will, replacing the need to fabricate twisted devices one by one.
Graphite oxidation experiments reveal new type of oscillating chemical reaction
A reaction that puzzled scientists for 50 years has now been explained by researchers at Ume University. Rapid structural snapshots captured how graphite transforms into graphite oxide during electrochemical oxidation, revealing intermediate structures that appear and disappear over time. The researchers describe this as a new type of oscillating reaction.
Rising demand for electronic devices and electric vehicles has increased the dependence on secondary ion batteries. While lithium-ion batteries are already popular, a promising alternative sodium-ion batteries (SIB) are struggling to get wider acceptance due to slow ion kinetics affecting their performance. A new polymer-based binder called PMAI addresses this issue by forming a functionalized solid electrolyte interphase. The study demonstrated that SIB with PMAI as an anode binder can have exceptional performance and cyclic stability.
New technology produces ultrashort ion pulses
New technology has allowed scientists to create ultra short ion pulses, with a duration of less than 500 picoseconds. This can be used to analyze materials or even make chemical reactions visible in real time.
Recent study reveals reduced maths performance of adults with Dyspraxia
Dyspraxia, also known as Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), can have a bigger impact on adult mathematical performance than previously thought, according to new research.
New understanding of the limits on nano-noise
Thanks to nanoscale devices as small as human cells, researchers can create groundbreaking material properties, leading to smaller, faster, and more energy-efficient electronics. However, to fully unlock the potential of nanotechnology, addressing noise is crucial. A research team has taken a significant step toward unraveling fundamental constraints on noise, paving the way for future nanoelectronics.
New results from the CMS experiment put W boson mass mystery to rest
Physicists on the CMS experiment announce the most elaborate mass measurement of a particle that is notoriously difficult to study and has captivated the physics community for decades.
Understanding the relationship between plasticity of muddy soil and earth pressure can be crucial to maintaining tunnel stability and predicting ground behavior during earth pressure balance (EPB) shield tunnelling, a common underground excavation method. Researchers developed small-scale model experimentation combined with moving particle simulation-based computer-aided engineering analysis that reliably predicted soil's plasticity and its correlating factors without having to deal with the cost and time of on-ground field analysis.
A wobble from Mars could be sign of dark matter
Watching for changes in Mars' orbit over time could be new way to detect passing dark matter, according to researchers.
In step toward solar fuels, durable artificial photosynthesis setup chains two carbons together
A key step toward reusing CO2 to make sustainable fuels is chaining carbon atoms together, and an artificial photosynthesis system can bind two of them into hydrocarbons with field-leading performance.
Synthetic mini-motor with enormous power developed
Researchers developed an artificial motor at the supramolecular level that can develop impressive power. This wind-up motor is a tiny ribbon made of special molecules. When energy is applied, this ribbon aligns itself, moves like a small fin and can thus push objects. The energy for this comes from a chemical fuel.