Tech | Page 1034 | Science Codex

Putting the brakes on cell's 'engine' could give flu and other vaccines a boost

A relatively unknown molecule that regulates metabolism could be the key to boosting an individual's immunity to the flu - and potentially other viruses - according to research reported today in the journal Immunity.

The study, led by University of Vermont (UVM) College of Medicine doctoral student Devin Champagne and Mercedes Rincon, Ph.D., a professor of medicine and an immunobiologist, discovered that a protein called methylation controlled J - or MCJ - can be altered to boost the immune system's response to the flu.

New tabletop instrument tests electron mobility for next-generation electronics

WASHINGTON, D.C., May 24, 2016 -- The National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, with facilities in Florida and New Mexico, offers scientists access to enormous machines that create record-setting magnetic fields. The strong magnetic fields help researchers probe the fundamental structure of materials to better understand and manipulate their properties. Yet large-scale facilities like the MagLab are scarce, and scientists must compete with others for valuable time on the machines.

Light can 'heal' defects in new solar cell materials

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- A family of compounds known as perovskites, which can be made into thin films with many promising electronic and optical properties, has been a hot research topic in recent years. But although these materials could potentially be highly useful in applications such as solar cells, some limitations still hamper their efficiency and consistency.

Recent progress in tracking the viability of transplanted stem cells in vivo

Noninvasive cell-tracking methods are indispensable for assessing the safety and efficacy of stem-cell based therapy. Thus, the research of noninvasive cell-tracking methods for determining in vivo the translocation and long-term viability of the transplanted stem cells have received considerable attention. A recent review article summarized the recent progress in tracking the viability of the transplanted stem cells in vivo.

Low to moderate risk of locally transmitted cases of Zika in parts of Europe

ECDC has updated its rapid risk assessment on the Zika epidemic that continues to evolve in the Americas and the Caribbean.

The risk assessment synthesises the main scientific developments from the past month, considers the main risks for the EU and its citizens and sets out a range of options for EU/EEA Member States' consideration.

Gigantic ultrafast spin currents

In our computer chips, information is transported in form of electrical charge. Electrons or other charge carriers have to be moved from one place to another. For years scientists have been working on elements that take advantage of the electrons angular momentum (their spin) rather than their electrical charge. This new approach, called "spintronics" has major advantages compared to common electronics. It can operate with much less energy.

Engineers take first step toward flexible, wearable, tricorder-like device

Engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed the first flexible wearable device capable of monitoring both biochemical and electric signals in the human body. The Chem-Phys patch records electrocardiogram (EKG) heart signals and tracks levels of lactate, a biochemical that is a marker of physical effort, in real time. The device can be worn on the chest and communicates wirelessly with a smartphone, smart watch or laptop. It could have a wide range of applications, from athletes monitoring their workouts to physicians monitoring patients with heart disease.

New research confirms continued, unabated and large-scale amphibian declines

LAUREL, Md. -- New U.S. Geological Survey-led research suggests that even though amphibians are severely declining worldwide, there is no smoking gun - and thus no simple solution - to halting or reversing these declines.

Attosecond physics: A switch for light-wave electronics

Light waves could in principle be used to drive future transistors. Since the electromagnetic waves of light oscillate approximately one million times in a billionth of a second, i.e. at petahertz (PHz) frequencies, optoelectronic computers could attain switching rates 100,000 times higher than current digital electronic systems. However, to achieve this goal, we will need a better understanding of the sub-atomic electron motion induced by the ultrafast electric field of light.

Global data shows inverse relationship, shift in human use of fire

Humans use fire for heating, cooking, managing lands and, more recently, fueling industrial processes. Now, research from the University of Colorado has found that these various means of using fire are inversely related to one another, providing new insight into how people are changing the face of fire.

The results were published today in the journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B and presented at a meeting of the Royal Society in London as part of a discussion on fire and mankind.

New technique controls autonomous vehicles on a dirt track

A Georgia Institute of Technology research team has devised a novel way to help keep a driverless vehicle under control as it maneuvers at the edge of its handling limits. The approach could help make self-driving cars of the future safer under hazardous road conditions.

The Lancet: Teenage pregnancies hit record low, reflecting efforts of England's strategy to reduce under-18 conceptions

Rates of teenage pregnancy in England have halved since the implementation of the Government's Teenage Pregnancy Strategy (TPS) in 1999, and the greatest effect is seen in areas of high deprivation and areas that received the most TPS funding, according to research published in The Lancet.

The study is the first to show the long term effect of a nationwide strategy launched by the Labour government in 1999, aimed at reducing under-18 conception rates by 50% by 2010 and limiting social exclusion among young parents.

Health, wealth and social differences for adults born premature, low-birth-weight

Fewer adults who were born prematurely at low-birth weights were employed or had children and they were more likely to have lower incomes, be single and report more chronic health conditions than their normal-birth-weight-term counterparts, according to an article published online by JAMA Pediatrics.

The first generation of extremely low-birth-weight (ELBW) premature infants (less than 1,000 grams) who were born after the introduction of neonatal intensive care has now survived into their fourth decade.

Engineers take first step toward flexible, wearable, tricoder-like device

Engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed the first flexible wearable device capable of monitoring both biochemical and electric signals in the human body. The Chem-Phys patch records electrocardiogram (EKG) heart signals and tracks levels of lactate, a biochemical that is a marker of physical effort, in real time. The device can be worn on the chest and communicates wirelessly with a smartphone, smart watch or laptop. It could have a wide range of applications, from athletes monitoring their workouts to physicians monitoring patients with heart disease.

Cities try different tactics to regulate noise

WASHINGTON, D.C., May 23, 2016 - If you live in Waco, Texas, your neighbor maneuvering a gas lawn mower in the middle of the night likely wouldn't violate the decibel limit, which is eight times louder than the typical nighttime limit in the United States.