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51 articles from ScienceDaily

Decades of research brings quantum dots to brink of widespread use

A new article gives an overview of almost three decades of research into colloidal quantum dots, assesses the technological progress for these nanometer-sized specs of semiconductor matter, and weighs the remaining challenges on the path to widespread commercialization for this promising technology with applications in everything from TVs to highly efficient sunlight collectors.

Ovarian cancer: Potential therapeutic target identified

A gene called DOT1L appears to play a role in progression and severity of ovarian cancer, and inhibitors of the DOT1L enzyme may offer a new therapeutic approach for the disease, researchers say in a new study. The need is clear -- despite decades of work to develop new treatment modalities, the five-year survival of patients with advanced ovarian cancer is between 10 and 30 percent.

All in your head: Exploring human-body communications with binaural hearing aids

Wearable technology seems all poised to take over next-generation electronics, yet most wireless communication techniques are not up to the task. To tackle this issue, scientists have delved deep into human-body communications, in which human tissue is used as the transmission medium for electromagnetic signals. Their findings pave the way to more efficient and safer head-worn devices, such as...

An action agenda for Africa’s electricity sector

A new scientific article outlines how to undertake the much-needed expansion and modernization of Africa's electricity sector. The article highlights the crucial role that international partnerships such as the Sustainable Energy for All Initiative have to play in achieving this goal.

Corn’s genetic diversity on display in new genome study

A new study details the genomes of 26 lines of corn from across the globe. The genomes can help scientists piece together the puzzle of corn genetics. Using these new genomes as references, plant scientists can better select for genes likely to lead to better crop yields or stress tolerance.

Brain-inspired highly scalable neuromorphic hardware

Researchers fabricated a brain-inspired highly scalable neuromorphic hardware by co-integrating single transistor neurons and synapses. Using standard silicon complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology, the neuromorphic hardware is expected to reduce chip cost and simplify fabrication procedures.

New findings about cancer cell growth may hold promise for future cancer treatments

For a cell to grow and divide, it needs to produce new proteins. This also applies to cancer cells. Researchers have now investigated the protein eIF4A3 and its role in the growth of cancer cells. The study shows that by blocking or reducing the production of this protein, other processes arise that cause the growth and cell division of cancer cells to cease and eventually die.

New drug molecules could prevent skin aging caused by sun exposure

Two new molecules that generate minute amounts of the gas hydrogen sulfide have been found to prevent skin from aging after being exposed to ultraviolet light found in sunlight. Sunburn is a major cause of premature aging in skin, and a primary risk factor for skin cancer, and other skin problems associated with aging. Now, an international research team has made inroads towards being able to...

NASA's TESS tunes into an all-sky 'symphony' of red giant stars

Using observations from NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), astronomers have identified an unprecedented collection of pulsating red giant stars all across the sky. These stars, whose rhythms arise from internal sound waves, provide the opening chords of a symphonic exploration of our galactic neighborhood.

Quantum crystal could be a new dark matter sensor

Physicists have linked together, or 'entangled,' the mechanical motion and electronic properties of a tiny blue crystal, giving it a quantum edge in measuring electric fields with record sensitivity that may enhance understanding of the universe.

Leaping squirrels! Parkour is one of their many feats of agility

Biologists tested free-ranging squirrels to determine how quickly they adapt to the bendiness of their launching branch in order to successfully land. The squirrels learned within a few trials to leap no matter how bendy, but have a failsafe to stick the landing: claws. They also innovated, bounding off vertical surfaces to extend their range, just as parkouring humans. Incorporating such control...

Using two CRISPR enzymes, a COVID diagnostic in only 20 minutes

Today's gold standard for COVID diagnostics is qRT-PCR, but turnaround is typically more than a day. Newer assays using CRISPR enzymes require initial amplification of RNA, requiring special equipment not available in doctors' offices, workplaces, etc. By combining two different CRISPR-Cas enzymes -- Cas13 and Csm6 -- researchers have created a point of care diagnostic that provides results in...

Polymer coating accelerates fuel production

Researchers have found that introducing a polymer coating onto a tin catalyst accelerated the conversion of a greenhouse gas (CO2) into an industrial fuel (formate). Computational and electrochemical investigations supported a mechanism wherein a complete polymer layer surrounding the porous tin catalysts effectively captured and shuttled CO2 molecules to the catalytically active metal surface....