Industries
12V smart amplifier delivers rich sound in portable devices
NXP Semiconductors has introduced the industry’s first 12V smart audio amplifier, TFA9892. This powerful, but tiny, audio amplifier makes it possible to enjoy higher sound quality in a variety of electronic devices such as smartphones, netbooks and sound bars by combining higher output power, higher efficiency and better drum restitution for deeper and richer bass.
Robots and ETs: How new life will challenge humankind
We should start thinking about how we define life, according to Lund University researchers. An army of intelligent robots is growing in front of us, but also opportunities to alter people’s DNA, create super babies and, perhaps, to encounter life in space. The researchers argue that this definition is central to the exploration of new forms of life. It has to do with the ethical/moral, legal and practical issues that we as individuals...
Killer cells use dormant viruses to track down tumours
The use of immunotherapy to treat cancer is celebrating its first successes – but there are still many knowledge gaps in the underlying mechanisms of action. In a study of mice with soft tissue tumours, ETH researchers have now shown how endogenous killer cells track down the tumours with the help of dormant viruses. The promising drug is known as F8-TNF. When injected into the bloodstream, it lures killer cells from the body’s i...
LIGO detects gravitational waves for third time
The collision of a pair of colossal, stellar-mass black holes has made itself heard, nearly 3 billion light years away, through a cosmic microphone on Earth. On Jan. 4, the Laser Interferometry Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) picked up a barely perceptible signal that scientists quickly determined to be a gravitational wave — a ripple of energy passing through the curvature of spacetime. The event, published in Physical Review Le...
Noninvasive method helps patients with brain diseases
MIT researchers, collaborating with investigators at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) and the IT’IS Foundation, have come up with a way to stimulate regions deep within the brain using electrodes placed on the scalp. This approach could make deep brain stimulation noninvasive, less risky, less expensive, and more accessible to patients.
Scientists identify more than a hundred genes linked to memory
Scientists have identified more than 100 genes linked to memory, opening new avenues of research to better understand memory processing in the human brain. A study at the Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute includes the results of a new strategy to identify genes that underlie specific brain processes. This strategy may eventually help scientists develop treatments for patients with memory impairments.
Brightlamp smartphone app diagnoses concussions
Brightlamp, a startup out of Purdue University, is developing an app that uses machine learning and the smartphone camera to help diagnose a concussion in about five seconds. Concussions are a type of brain injury that can happen during a collision or impact, causing the affected person to feel dizzy or disoriented. In sports like American Football or boxing, concussions are a common type of injury. Unfortunately, concussions can increase the lik...
NASA launches first-ever neutron-star mission
Nearly 50 years after British astrophysicist Jocelyn Bell discovered the existence of rapidly spinning neutron stars, NASA will launch the world’s first mission devoted to studying these unusual objects. The agency also will use the same platform to carry out the world’s first demonstration of X-ray navigation in space.
Antimicrobial master batches aid medical device polymers
Foster has introduced Combat antimicrobial master batches for blending with medical device polymers. Components made with these antimicrobial polymer blends kill harmful bacteria that leads to infections, including methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and carbapenem-resistant enterobacteriaceae (CRE). According to a survey by the Center for Disease Control (CDC), 4% of inpatients in U.S. acute care hospitals contract at least o...
Compact solution for industrial rail introduced
It has been announced that Laird will be launching a space-saving solution for industrial rail applications, the Transport Locomotive Control Unit (LCU).