Tokyo, Japan -- A prosthesis is an artificial device that replaces an injured or missing part of the body. You can easily imagine a stereotypical pirate with a wooden leg or Luke Skywalker's famous robotic hand. Less dramatically, think of old-school prosthetics like glasses and contact lenses that replace the natural lenses in our eyes. Now try to imagine a prosthesis that replaces part of a damaged brain. What could artificial brain matter be like? How would it even work?
Osaka, Japan - Researchers at The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research at Osaka University introduced a new liquid-phase fabrication method for producing nanocellulose films with multiple axes of alignment. Using 3D-printing methods for increased control, this work may lead to cheaper and more environmentally friendly optical and thermal devices.
SUTD scientists led development of novel acoustofluidic technology that isolates submicron particles
Acoustofluidics is the fusion of acoustics and fluid mechanics which provides a contact-free, rapid and effective manipulation of fluids and suspended particles. The applied acoustic wave can produce a non-zero time-averaged pressure field to exert an acoustic radiation force on particles suspended in a microfluidic channel. However, for particles below a critical size the viscous drag force dominates over the acoustic radiation forces due to the strong acoustic streaming resulting from the acoustic energy dissipation in the fluid.
Chemical compounds found in many consumer products could be major contributors to the onset of lipid-related diseases, such as obesity, in humans, according to a Baylor University study.
Understanding and predicting how molecules recognize each other are the key issues in the field of supramolecular chemistry and biology, etc., where the non-covalent bindings play an essential role. Among many types of non-covalent interactions, ion-π interactions, including both cation-π and anion-π interactions, are practically important in regulating many important vital processes, such as gene expression, nicotine addiction and ion channel, etc., through recognizing specific ions by the receptors.
In Germany about 18 million people suffer from non-alcoholic fatty liver. The causes of this disease are manifold and include environmental as well as genetic factors. DZD researchers have now discovered new genes that play a role in the development of fatty liver. In humans and mice, respectively, the genes IRGM, Ifgga2 and Ifgga4 are responsible for the production of regulatory proteins of the family of immunity-related GTPases which counteract fat accumulation in the liver. However, a genetic variation leads to the formation of fewer of these proteins.
The known Madagascar copal is a more recent resin from what was thought -it has about a few hundred years- and trapped pieces in this material are not as palaeontological important as thought traditionally. This is one of the conclusions of the new article in the journal PLOS ONE, whose first author is Xavier Delclòs, professor at the Faculty of Earth Sciences and member of the Biodiversity Research Institute (IRBio) of the University of Barcelona.
Kyoto, Japan -- Fais attention! Serpent!
You may not speak French, but if someone behind you in a forest shouted this, you'd likely understand and become instantly alert.
And according to a new report from Kyoto University's Hakubi Center for Advanced Research, the same thing happens in birds.
IBARAKI, Japan--Comprehensive implementation of COVID-19 infection prevention measures boosts their effectiveness, while partial implementation compromises it. These are the findings from a study led by Prof. Setsuya Kurahashi at the Faculty of Business Sciences, University of Tsukuba.
Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) have been widely used as substitutes for ozone-depleting substances--for example, hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). Though HFCs have no impact on the ozone layer, they are also long-lived potent greenhouse gases with global warming potentials as high as CFCs, meaning HFCs are regulated by both the Montreal Protocol as well as the Kyoto Protocol. China is a major consumer of HFCs around the world.