Tech
TORONTO AND OSAKA - Neurodegenerative diseases, like Huntington's disease and myotonic dystrophy, are often referred to as DNA repeat diseases, named because of long repeated sequences in the DNA of patients. Increasing repeat expansion length in the affected tissues contribute to earlier age of disease onset and worsen the progression and severity of the disease over time.
Korea Institute of Energy Research (President Kim, Jong-nam) found an efficiency improvement mechanism of polymer-substrate flexible CIGS thin-film solar cells* and published the results in 'Nano Energy' (IF: 15.548).
*CIGS thin film solar cell: A kind of next-generation thin-film solar cell that has Cu(In,Ga)Se2-based compound materials. The CIGS-based solar cells can be fabricated on glass or (flexible) plastic substrate. This kind of solar cell shows high conversion efficiencies even with very a thin absorber layer with 1-2 μm thickness.
A team of the University of Barcelona has studied for the first time the presence of microplastics in the coasts of Barcelona, thanks to the participation of the citizens gathering scientific samples. The study, published in the journal Science of Total Environment, is a pioneer citizen science study worldwide, since it analyses a hard-access area for oceanography research ships, due its too shallow depth and chance to run aground, and the danger it involves regarding swimmers.
Long-lived inverted perovskite solar cells can achieve efficiencies close to that of highly efficient yet fragile conventional perovskite solar cells, researchers at KAUST have shown. The discovery could lead to perovskite solar panels that have operational lifetimes and light-capturing efficiencies that rival traditional silicon solar panels, but that are significantly simpler, less energy-intensive and less expensive to make.
Researchers at Wits University in Johannesburg, South Africa, have created the world's first framework, to better guide the management of terrestrial invasive species.
By using a big data approach and combining information from the South African National Census of 2011, with the South African Plant Invaders Atlas, the researchers found a way to prioritise targets in the control of invasive species. This will ensure the greatest benefits for both the environment and rural communities.
Celiac disease affects 0.3-2.4% of people in most countries world-wide, and approx. 2% in Finland. Celiac patients suffer from a variety of symptoms, typically intestinal complaints, such as diarrhea, but are often symptom-free. Immunologist Tobias Freitag co-developed and tested nanoparticles containing gliadin for the immunomodulatory treatment of celiac disease in Professor Seppo Meri's research group at the University of Helsinki, in collaboration with industry.
Vegetable oil biofuels are increasingly being used as an alternative to fossil fuels despite the growing controversy regarding their sustainability. In a new study led by the University of Göttingen, researchers investigated the effect of palm-oil biodiesel on greenhouse gases for the entire life cycle. The researchers found that using palm oil from first rotation plantations where forests had been cleared to make way for palms actually leads to an increase in greenhouse gas emissions compared to using fossil fuels.
Scientists at Tokyo Institute of Technology have designed a novel processor architecture that can solve combinatorial optimization problems much faster than existing ones. Combinatorial optimization are complex problems that show up across many different fields of science and engineering and are difficult for conventional computers to handle, making specialized processor architectures very important.
Barium titanate is an important electroceramic material used in trillions of capacitors each year and found in most electronics. Penn State researchers have produced the material at record low temperatures, and the discovery could lead to more energy efficient manufacturing.
NEWPORT NEWS, VA - Nuclear physicists have entered a new era for probing the strongest force in the universe at its very heart with a novel method of accessing the space between protons and neutrons in dense environments. The research, which was carried out at the Department of Energy's Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, has been published in the journal Nature and opens the door for more precision studies of the strongest part of the strong nuclear force and the structure of neutron stars.
Many of us take our feet for granted, but they have a challenging job in the biomechanics department. When we push off with the ball of the foot, the force we apply exceeds our body weight, causing the middle of the foot to bend. Yet the foot maintains its shape because it is stiff enough to withstand this force. Researchers have long debated what gives the midfoot its stiffness. Now, a new study, published in Nature, has shed light on the importance of a little-studied structure called the transverse arch (TA), which runs across the foot.
Decreased folate levels in the bloodstream have been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular mortality in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, shedding light on why those patients are more susceptible to heart and vascular disease, according to research published today in JAMA Network Open by experts at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth).
A little over a year after landing, China's spacecraft Chang'E-4 is continuing to unveil secrets from the far side of the Moon. The latest study, published on Feb.26 in Science Advances, reveals what lurks below the surface.
Chang'E-4 (CE-4) landed on the eastern floor of the Van Kármán crater, near the Moon's south pole, on Jan. 3, 2019. The spacecraft immediately deployed its Yutu-2 rover, which uses Lunar Penetrating Radar (LPR) to investigate the underground it roams.
A stiff mid-foot is essential for withstanding excessive force when pushing off on the ground for walking and running
The arch along the length of the foot was believed to be responsible for mid-foot stiffness. Now, a research collaboration between the University of Warwick and two other universities has illustrated the greater importance of a lesser studied foot arch - the transverse arch.
Researchers at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) have discovered dust from the Middle East has a positive cooling effect over the land and the Red Sea.
"Saudi Arabia is in the so-called Dust Belt, emitting about a third of the world's dust emissions," said Professor Georgiy Stenchikov, Director of the Earth Science and Engineering Program in Physical Sciences and Engineering at KAUST. "Dust affects the entire world and it is the most abundant aerosol on Earth."