83335371
submission
hypnosec writes:
A study published in Nature Geoscience has proved that the idea of early Earth harboring a much thicker atmosphere is wrong and instead the air weighed much less than today. University of Washington researchers and colleagues proved that the air during the early years of Earth exerted almost half the pressure of today's atmosphere by studying bubbles trapped in 2.7 billion-year-old rocks. For the purpose of the study, researchers needed a site that had lava that was undisputedly formed at sea level. Scientists found such a site in Australia where Beasley River had exposed a 2.7 billion-year-old basalt lava. The team drilled into the overlying lava flows to examine the size of the bubbles. Initial measurements by scientists showed that the air pressure at the time was significantly lower than current times meaning that the air was light. For more accurate results, researchers carried out x-ray scans from several lava flows and confirmed their initial findings that the atmospheric pressure at that time was less than half of today's.
83333523
submission
hypnosec writes:
Scientists in Canada have designed and developed world’s first holographic flexible smartphone and they have aptly named it HoloFlex. The smartphone renders 3D images with motion parallax and stereoscopy to multiple users without the users requiring to wear any glasses or head tracking. Applications of HoloFlex technology include use of bend gestures for Z-Input to facilitate the editing of 3D models, playing games, among other things.
83309665
submission
hypnosec writes:
Researchers have developed a new inexpensive paper-based test to detect and diagnose Zika in just a few hours. The work was carried out by researchers at MIT and other institutions by building upon a previous technology that was developed to detect the Ebola virus. The team of scientists involved with the latest development adapted their Ebola virus detecting kit to diagnose Zika. The overall idea of the paper-based test is to develop genetic sensors and embed them in paper discs. The genetic sensors are capable of detecting 24 different RNA sequences found in the Zika viral genome. As per the design of the testing kit, if the sensor detects a target RNA sequence, it initiates a series of interactions that turns the paper from yellow to purple.
82579353
submission
hypnosec writes:
Red dwarfs have been one of the most sidelined celestial objects as far as search of intelligent extraterrestrials is concerned because astronomers have long believed that conditions around these old stars is not conducive for life. However, the SETI Institute now believes that there is a possibility that intelligent aliens may have evolved on planets orbiting red dwarfs and if they are present, they are an ideal choice to look for radio signals transmitted by these aliens. The Institute has announced its intentions of expanding the search for intelligent extraterrestrials by incorporating area in the vicinity of 20,000 red dwarf stars.
82261203
submission
hypnosec writes:
Researchers have developed a low-cost prototype assessment system using Microsoft Xbox Kinects that not only allows physicians to assess the respiratory function of cystic fibrosis patients, but also enables them to measure and assess how a chest wall moves. Utilizing the capabilities of four Xbox Kinects, researchers were able to quickly create a 3D image of a patient's torso providing greater information about the chest that currently used spirometer can't reveal while also helping to identify numerous other respiratory problems including collapsed lung segments or respiratory muscle weakness.
82155601
submission
hypnosec writes:
Bacteria can be killed in mere seconds — even those heat-resistant bacteria that are known to exist in some of the most hot areas in the world — researchers have shown through a new study. A team of scientists from University of Houston, Texas, showed in their paper published in Optical Materials Express that it is possible to use tiny gold nanodisks and light to kill bacteria in seconds paving way for potential treatment options for some common infections without use of antibiotics.
81880233
submission
hypnosec writes:
A new report has claimed that social media is slowly becoming a threat to endangered wildlife as there have been multiple instances wherein illegal trade of wildlife is happening through social media sites like Facebook. The claims have been put forward by Traffic, a UK wildlife protection monitoring group, through a report wherein they have said that just half an hour’s daily monitoring over five months by their researchers of 14 Facebook Groups in Peninsular Malaysia found more than 300 apparently wild, live animals for sale as pets, ranging from Sun Bears Helarctos malayanus and gibbons, to otters and even Binturong Arctictis binturong.
81728075
submission
hypnosec writes:
Researchers have developed new technology that converts atmospheric carbon dioxide into carbon nanotubes for use in batteries thereby paving way for a more fruitful and less expensive reuse of atmospheric carbon. The team of researchers demonstrated and described in their paper published in the journal ACS Central Science that it is possible to replace graphite electrodes used in the lithium-ion batteries used in variety of applications with carbon nanotubes prepared from carbon recovered from the atmosphere. The work is the result of collaboration between scientists at Vanderbilt University and George Washington University. According to the authors of the study, they adapted a solar-powered process called solar thermal electrochemical process (STEP) to produce carbon nanofibres from carbon dioxide recovered from the atmosphere and used these nanotubes in both lithium-ion batteries and low-cost sodium-ion batteries that under development for large-scale applications.
81638439
submission
hypnosec writes:
Our cells are powered by Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and according to a new study, they could be a power source for next generation of biological supercomputers that are capable of processing information very quickly and accurately using parallel networks in the same way that massive electronic super computers do. Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the paper describes a model of a biological computer that is effectively a very complex network in a very small area and is based on a combination of geometrical modelling and engineering knowhow (on the nano scale). Researchers involved with the study claim that it is the first step, in showing that this kind of biological supercomputer can actually work.
81505477
submission
hypnosec writes:
When everything else has failed in tackling the seagull menace in Britain, what will help? That’s what scientists in the UK questioned and have come up with psychology as the answer. Over the period of next 18 months, researchers at University of the West of England will be carrying out a psychological evaluation of seagulls in a bid to understand their history, lives and behavior while also creating a map to reveal interaction with humans in Bath and North East Somerset. One of the focus areas of the research will be the nesting sites of the birds, their feeding activity and how people respond to them. Why a psychological approach? Dr Chris Pawson, head of psychology at UWE, says that measures put in place over the last decade haven’t really paid off and haven’t been successful in tackling the seagull menace. This calls for a completely new approach and to ensure that the base on which a new approach is devised is strong, researchers want to garner a better understanding of the motivations of the protected species.
81428973
submission
hypnosec writes:
Researchers have revealed through a new study that fungi from the gut of herbivores like goats, horses and sheep could be used to make biofuel. According to researchers at University of California, Santa Barbara, the fungi retrieved from these animals are capable of converting plant material into sugars that can be easily used to make biofuel and other products and that too at the same efficiency as the best fungi engineering in industry. Michelle O’Malley, lead author of the paper [abstract] and professor of chemical engineering at the University explains that these fungi naturally have the best possible set of enzymes for the job of breaking down biomass and as per their findings, these enzymes work together to break down stubborn plant material.
81239885
submission
hypnosec writes:
One of the major hurdles to fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) adoption and deployment around the world is cost of hardware for households and this could soon change as researchers have managed to develop a low-cost optical receiver that can be deployed at the 'last mile' to provide direct fiber connectivity to households thereby futureproofing infrastructure against the exponentially growing demand for data. Scientists say that their optical receiver can be mass produced cheaply without compromising on the quality of the optical signal and could support speeds of up to 10 Gb/s as compared to currently used copper cables that provide only 300 Mb/s — something that will soon become a major bottleneck as demand for data drives up. [Paper abstract]
81155215
submission
hypnosec writes:
A new study has put forward claims that by working on and improving the energy management system (EMS) that decides when the switch from ‘all-electric’ mode to ‘hybrid’ mode in plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, efficiency of these vehicles can be improved by as much as 12 per cent. Researchers have shown in their lab tests that blended discharge strategies wherein power from the battery is used throughout the trip, have proven to be more efficient at minimizing fuel consumption and emissions.
80908043
submission
hypnosec writes:
Two senior doctors have exposed the 'scandal' of pacemaker battery life and have called for improvement in battery life of implantable heart monitors so as to reduce the need of their replacement thereby reducing the risk to patients. According to an editorial penned by cardiologists John Dean and Neil Sulke In a startling report published in The BMJ, over half of patients with pacemakers will require a battery replacement with many requiring replacements. This not only wastes money, it also "exposes patients to risk of serious complications, including life threatening infection," the two doctors warn.
80675541
submission
hypnosec writes:
In what has been claimed to be the first use of gene editing technique CRIPSR for replacement of a defective gene associated with a sensory disease, researchers have repaired a genetic defect that causes blindness. The research that led to successful editing of defective genes responsible for retinitis pigmentosa (RP) – an inherited condition that causes the retina to degrade and leads to blindness in at least 1.5 million cases worldwide – was carried out using stem cells derived from a patient’s tissue. Published in Scientific Reports, the study paves the way for using CRIPSR therapeutically to treat eye diseases.
