Wednesday 5 June 2019

Everything will connect to the internet someday, and this biobattery could help

In the future, small paper and plastic devices will be able to connect to the internet for a short duration, providing information on everything from healthcare to consumer products, before they are thrown away. Researchers at Binghamton University, State University of New York have developed a micro biobattery that could power these disposable sensors.

* This article was originally published here

Q&A: Tanning beds raise risk for skin cancer

Dear Mayo Clinic: My daughter and her friends are all talking about going to a tanning bed. I suggested to my daughter that she get a spray tan instead, but I don't think I've convinced her since she's under the impression that tanning beds are somewhat safe. Is there any kind of tanning bed that is safe and that won't damage the skin?

* This article was originally published here

Agent Unicorn headset for ADHD children may make understanding easier

The quest for a better understanding among scientists of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) goes on.

* This article was originally published here

Improved human brain organoids to boost neurological disease research

Scientists at Harvard University and the Broad Institute's Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research have made a major advance in the development of human brain 'organoids': miniature, 3-D tissue cultures that model a patient's own brain cells in a dish. Their new method, published in Nature, consistently grows the same types of cells, in the same order, as the developing human cerebral cortex. The advance could change the way researchers study neuropsychiatric diseases and test the effectiveness of drugs.

* This article was originally published here

To fight tuberculosis infection, early protection is crucial

In the first days after the tuberculosis (TB) bacteria infect the body, a flurry of immune cells are activated to fight the infection. Now, researchers have identified a master cell that coordinates the body's immune defenses in those crucial early days, according to a new study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and Africa Health Research Institute in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

* This article was originally published here

Replicating fetal bone growth process could help heal large bone defects

To treat large gaps in long bones, like the femur, which result from bone tumor removal or a shattering trauma, researchers at Penn Medicine and the University of Illinois at Chicago developed a process that partially recreates the bone growth process that occurs before birth. A bone defect of more than two centimeters is considered substantial, and current successful healing rates stand at 50 percent or less, with failure often resulting in amputation. The team hopes that their method, which they've developed in rodent models to mimic the process of rapid fetal bone growth, can substantially improve success rates. Their findings are published in Science Translational Medicine.

* This article was originally published here

Postop delirium may briefly up risk for cognitive dysfunction

(HealthDay)—Older patients who develop delirium after surgery are more likely to show signs of cognitive dysfunction one month later, according to a study published online May 28 in Anesthesiology.

* This article was originally published here

Pioneering 3-D printed device sets new record for efficiency

A new 3-D printed thermoelectric device, which converts heat into electric power with an efficiency factor over 50% higher than the previous best for printed materials—and is cheap to produce in bulk—has been manufactured by researchers at Swansea University's SPECIFIC Innovation and Knowledge Centre.

* This article was originally published here

Energy storage project in Utah described as world's largest of its kind

Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems (MHPS) announced an ambitious energy storage project to develop what it claims will be the world's largest energy storage project of its kind, in Utah. Renewable hydrogen is at the core.

* This article was originally published here

Video gamers design brand new proteins

A team of researchers encoded their specialized knowledge into the computer game Foldit to enable citizen scientists to successfully design synthetic proteins for the first time.

* This article was originally published here

Floating power plants

Paper, tin cans, glass—the world recycles as much as possible. So why not declare the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) a recycling product as well? Liquid fuels based on carbon will continue to play an important role in the future—despite international efforts to reduce them. So it seems sensible to recover the CO2 exhaust from the environment and use it again.

* This article was originally published here

Poor sleep is unlikely to contribute to higher BMI in children

Children need more than a good night's sleep to have a healthy weight, according to a new study in the journal Obesity that explores the relationship between sleep, body mass index (BMI) and cortisol levels in children.

* This article was originally published here

Stopping Parkinson's disease before it starts

An Osaka University-led research team has recently published findings that provide a ray of hope for the millions of Parkinson's disease (PD) sufferers worldwide. Although more common in those aged over sixty, PD can strike at any age, with an estimated prevalence of 41 per 100,000 people in their forties. And while not fatal in and of itself, the progressive neurodegeneration that is characteristic of PD can often cause secondary effects that lead to death.

* This article was originally published here

Protecting our energy infrastructure from cyberattack

Almost every day, news headlines announce another security breach and the theft of credit card numbers and other personal information. While having one's credit card stolen can be annoying and unsettling, a far more significant, yet less recognized, concern is the security of physical infrastructure, including energy systems.

* This article was originally published here

Sorghum making a rebound in Europe thanks to climate change

Ferenc Kardos planted 300 hectares of sorghum instead of corn this year. From the fertile Hungarian plain where he lives all the way to southeastern France, the hot weather cereal is taking root in Europe.

* This article was originally published here

Listening to music eases pain and other symptoms in patients with breast cancer

A European Journal of Cancer Care study found that listening to music at home reduced the severity of symptoms, pain intensity, and fatigue experienced by patients with breast cancer.

* This article was originally published here

New organic flow battery brings decomposing molecules back to life

After years of making progress on an organic aqueous flow battery, Harvard University researchers ran into a problem: the organic anthraquinone molecules that powered their ground-breaking battery were slowly decomposing over time, reducing the long-term usefulness of the battery.

* This article was originally published here