307 articles from TUESDAY 19.5.2020

Self-isolating? Get fit faster with multi-ghost racing

Eager to ramp up your fitness while stuck at home? A new generation of virtual reality (VR) exergames nudges home-based cyclists to perform a lot better by immersing them in a crowd of cyclists. And as all cyclists participating in the race are versions of the flesh-and-blood player, the Covid-19 norms of social distancing are maintained even in the parallel universe of VR.

Seven at one pulse

Higher frequencies mean faster data transfer and more powerful processors. Technically, however, it is anything but easy to keep increasing clock rates and radio frequencies. New materials could solve the problem. Experiments at Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) have now produced a promising result: Researchers were able to get a novel material to increase the frequency of a terahertz...

Six feet not far enough to stop virus transmission in light winds

Airborne transmission of viruses, like the virus causing COVID-19, is not well understood, but a good baseline for study is a deeper understanding of how particles travel through the air when people cough. In Physics of Fluids, researchers discuss a simulation they created that examines saliva droplets moving through the air in front of a coughing person. The work shows that with a slight breeze...

Subcellular chatter regulates longevity

As people get older, they often feel less energetic, mobile or active. This may be due in part to a decline in mitochondria, the tiny powerhouses inside of our cells, which provide energy and regulate metabolism. In fact, mitochondria decline with age not only in humans, but in many species. Why they do so is not well understood. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing in...

Sustainable palm oil? How environmental protection and poverty reduction can be reconciled

Palm oil is often associated with tropical deforestation above all else. However, this is only one side of the story, as agricultural scientists from the University of Göttingen and the IPB University Bogor (Indonesia) show in a new study. The rapid expansion of oil palm has also contributed considerably to economic growth and poverty reduction in local communities, particularly in Asia. The...

SUTD scientists led development of novel acoustofluidic technology that isolates submicron particles

SUTD researchers and their collaborators developed a novel nanoacoustic trapping device that manipulates particles within submicron ranges by applying a structured elastic layer at the interface between a microfluidic channel and a travelling surface acoustic wave (SAW). This novel acoustofluidic device provides a promising solution for sorting and size-selective capture of nanoscale objects that...

Three-dimensional chessboards

Scientists at Osaka University develop a liquid-phase method for 3D-printing nanocellulose fibers aligned in multiple directions. This work may help with the development of new smartphone screens or electronics printed on paper.

UMD researchers tap CRISPR technology to connect biology, electronics

In an effort to create first-of-kind microelectronic devices that connect with biological systems, University of Maryland (UMD) researchers are utilizing CRISPR technology in a novel way to electronically turn 'on' and 'off' several genes simultaneously. Their technique, published in Nature Communications, has the potential to further bridge the gap between the electronic and biological worlds,...

Uncovering Alzheimer's disease

Characterized by a buildup of amyloid plaques in the brain, Alzheimer's is an irreversible disease that leads to memory loss and a decrease in cognitive function. More than 5 million Americans suffer with the brain condition, which is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. While the causes of Alzheimer's are not fully understood, scientists believe genetic, lifestyle and...

VR and AR devices at 1/100 the cost and 1/10,000 the thickness in the works

Professor Junsuk Rho of the departments of mechanical engineering and chemical engineering and doctoral student in mechanical engineering Gwanho Yoon at POSTECH with the research team at Korea University have jointly developed moldable nanomaterials and a printing technology using metamaterials, allowing the commercialization of inexpensive and thin VR and AR devices.

What if we could design powerful drugs without unwanted side effects?

The paper describes how to minimize or eliminate side effects in drugs that target G protein-coupled receptors. GPCRs are proteins found in all human cells. LSD and other psychedelics are molecules that attach to GPCRs, as are about a third of prescription drugs, including antihistamines, beta blockers and opioids. 'Armed with our results, researchers can begin to imagine new and better ways to...

Why pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is so lethal

Pancreatic ductal carcinoma is a fast growing and invasive cancer, and now scientists understand the molecular dance that makes it so deadly. CSHL researchers discovered factors that allow a pancreatic cell to lose its identity, turn into an aggressive cancer cell, and recruit surrounding cells to help it invade more effectively.

Women told more white lies in evaluations than men: Study

Women are more likely to be given inaccurate performance feedback, according to new research by Lily Jampol, Ph.D. '14, and Vivian Zayas, associate professor of psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences, published in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.