Industries
The implications of cosmic silence
Daniel Whitmire, a retired astrophysicist who teaches mathematics at the University of Arkansas, once thought the cosmic silence indicated we as a species lagged far behind. "I taught astronomy for 37 years," said Whitmire. "I used to tell my students that by statistics, we have to be the dumbest guys in the galaxy. After all we have only been technological for about 100 years while other civilizations could be more technologically advanced ...
On the path to discovering new kinds of brain cells
Salk Institute and University of California San Diego scientists have, for the first time, profiled chemical modifications of DNA molecules in individual neurons, giving the most detailed information yet on what makes one brain cell different from its neighbour. This is a critical step in beginning to identify how many types of neurons exist, which has eluded neuroscientists but could lead to a dramatically better understanding about brain develo...
Ultrasound controls delivery of local anaesthetic
According to the CDC, 91 people die from opioid overdoses every day in the U.S. Here in Massachusetts, the state has an opioid-related death rate that is more than twice the national average. “Opioid abuse is a growing problem in healthcare,” says Daniel Kohane, MD, PhD, a senior associate in critical care medicine at Boston Children’s and professor of anaesthesiology at Harvard Medical School.
Wireless PNS system receives FDA Clearance
Stimwave LLC has received FDA 510(k) clearance for the first wireless, micro-technology neuromodulation device that can enable ongoing full-body MRI scans under certain scanning conditions for the relief of chronic peripheral nerve pain.
Nanotechnology could help quickly diagnose Zika virus
Washington University in St. Louis researchers have developed a test that quickly detects the presence of Zika virus in blood. Currently, testing for Zika requires that a blood sample be refrigerated and shipped to a medical center or laboratory, delaying diagnosis and possible treatment. Although the new proof-of-concept technology has yet to be produced for use in medical situations, the test's results can be determined in minutes.
Astronomy video game wins National People’s Choice Award
'At Play in the Cosmos', an educational video game developed at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, is the winner of the Third Annual Mashable + Games for Change People’s Choice Award. The educational resource for introductory college astronomy received the highest number of online votes among the 11 games nominated in the category. Gear Learning, part of the School of Education’s Wisconsin Center for Education Research, d...
Observations reveal Crab Nebula's polarised emissions
Since it was first observed little more than a thousand years ago, the Crab Nebula has been studied by generations of astronomers. Yet new observations by researchers at KTH show this “cosmic lighthouse” has yet to give up all of its secrets. The researchers' observations of polarised X-rays from the Crab Nebula and Pulsar, published in Scientific Reports, may help explain sudden flares in the Crab’s X-ray intensity, as wel...
Partnership to integrate XYZ mechanisms in prototype instrument
Medical device company ITL Group specialises in the design, development and manufacture of life-saving medical technology, diagnostic devices and analytical instruments for a range of customers, from start-ups to well-established international companies. ITL product developers recently teamed up with fellow engineers at Physik Instrumente (PI) to integrate XYZ mechanisms in a prototype instrument, using off-the-shelf components, rather than ...
NSK gains SNCF homologation for TGV wheelset bearings
The national railway company of France, SNCF, has granted final homologation for the use of NSK wheelset bearings for TGV very high-speed trains. This confirmation is the culmination of a five-year project that has seen NSK engineers liaise closely with SNCF to ensure that exact requirements could be met. Although NSK already received similar approvals in Japan, China and Korea, it is the first time that the company has received a homologati...
Magnetic fields destroy bacteria on artificial joints
A short exposure to an alternating magnetic field might someday replace multiple surgeries and weeks of IV antibiotics as treatment for stubborn infections on artificial joints, new research suggests. Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have shown that high-frequency alternating magnetic fields – the same principle used in induction cooktops – can be used to destroy bacteria that are encased in a slimy 'biofilm' growing...