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Scientists mine the rich seam of body wearable motion sensors
Body movement can be identified through clothing by passing a low voltage through a seam sewn from conductive yarn. Seam-based fitness trackers hold promise for tracking subtle movements (yoga, Pilates, rehabilitation, etc) -- something today's fitness watches struggle with.Stretching conductive seams reduces voltage, and the increase in resistance broadly indicates the level of stretch. Changes in voltage are recorded using a microcontroller.
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Sustainable mining of raw materials from thermal springs in Chile
Lithium, cesium, or even gold -- in addition to energy geothermal waters can contain mineral treasures. In the BrineMine research project, researchers from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) want to leverage this potential and support sustainable mining in Chile. Together with their partners, they are developing strategies and methods for extracting mineral resources and even drinking water directly in geothermal power plants.
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Stretching changes the electronic properties of graphene
The electronic properties of graphene can be specifically modified by stretching the material evenly, say researchers at the University of Basel. These results open the door to the development of new types of electronic components.
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This crystal impurity is sheer perfection
Scientists at Berkeley Lab and UC Berkeley have developed a nanoparticle composite that grows into 3D crystals. The new 3D-grown material could speed up production and eliminate errors in the mass manufacturing of nanoscale photonics for smart buildings or actuators for robotics.
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New corona mass test up to 100 times more sensitive than rapid antigen tests
New corona mass test up to 100 times more sensitive than rapid antigen tests
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Leicester expert leads ground breaking invention on battery recycling
Researchers at the University of Leicester have developed a new method to recycle electric vehicle batteries using a ground-breaking new approach that many will have experienced in the dentist's chair.
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Through the nano hole: lego technique reveals the physics of DNA transport through nanopores
A new technique established by a team of researchers from the University of Cambridge and the University of Massachusetts reveals the fundamental physics of how a polymer such as DNA threads through holes 10,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair.
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83% of the Spanish population trusts in vaccination against COVID, 25 points more than in January
This is one of the results of the third Social Perception Survey on scientific aspects of COVID-19 conducted by FECYT and presented at the MUNCYT headquarters in Alcobendas. The first survey was conducted between June 25 and July 15, 2020, and the second between Jan. 4-22, 2021. With the results obtained from both, the research on the Evolution of Social Perception of Scientific Aspects of COVID-19 was carried out.
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How environmental factors could provide for a young brain
A stimulating environment keeps the 'hippocampus' -- which is the brain's memory control center -- young, so to speak. Causes of this are molecular mechanisms that affect gene regulation. These current findings from studies in mice provide clues as to why an active, varied life can help preserve mental fitness in old age. Researchers from the DZNE and the Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD) at the Technische Universität Dresden report on this in the journal Nature Communications.
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Scientists observe the dynamics behind the exceptional summer 2020 Yangtze River rainfall seasonal projections
A group of UK-Chinese scientists collaborated, finding clues as to why the 2020 summer meiyu season was so unique.
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Microbes feast on crushed rock in subglacial lakes beneath Antarctica
Pioneering research has revealed the erosion of ancient sediments found deep beneath Antarctic ice could be a vital and previously unknown source of nutrients and energy for abundant microbial life.
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Scientists discover new type of quasiparticle
Russian scientists have experimentally proved the existence of a new type of quasiparticle -- previously unknown excitations of coupled pairs of photons in qubit chains. This discovery could be a step towards disorder-robust quantum metamaterials. The study was published in Physical Review B.
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New components for antisense gene therapy show promise in treating spinal muscular atrophy
Skoltech researchers and their colleagues from Russia and the UK investigated the safety and efficacy of new chemistry in antisense oligonucleotides used to treat spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a debilitating genetic disease.The new findings will help develop drugs with less toxicity and fewer injections needed thanks to prolonged action. Nusinersen, an approved drug for the treatment of SMA, is administered several times a year via an injection into the spinal canal, so fewer injections would improve the quality of life for patients with SMA.
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The earthworm in new light
Earthworms are special because they keep our soil healthy. From the outside they appear inconspicuous. But what earthworms look like from the inside, from their organs to the microbes and parasites that colonize them, has been difficult to grasp. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology have developed a method to visualize anatomical structures including products of an earthworm's metabolism. Now published in the US-American Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
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Cell biology -- Masters of synapse modulation
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet (LMU) in Munich researchers have shown how RNA-binding proteins modulate synaptic responses that mediate the transmission of nerve cell impulses.
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The evolution of axial patterning
Body axes are molecular coordinate systems along which regulatory genes are activated. These genes then activate the development of anatomical structures in correct locations in the embryo. Thus, the body ensures that we do not develop arms on our heads or ears on our backs. In many organisms, the main body axis is regulated by the β-catenin signaling pathway.
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Parasites manipulate praying mantis's polarized-light perception, causing it to jump into water
Researchers have revealed that praying mantis (mantids) infected with parasitic hairworms are attracted to horizontally polarized light that is strongly reflected off the surface of water, which causes them to enter the water. In a world-first, these results demonstrate that parasites can manipulate the host's specific light perception system to their advantage, causing the host to behave in an abnormal manner.
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New work showcases the chemistry of an upcoming fuel cell electrolyte
Researchers from the University of Tsukuba confirmed the proton jumping phenomenon in crystals of imidazolium hydrogen succinate. Advanced computational results corresponded to experimental data. Such chemistry will be useful in upcoming fuel cell technologies that reliably provide primary and backup power.
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New findings to boost barley yields at higher temps
An international team of researchers has identified a novel mechanism in barley plants, which could help crop growers achieve high yields as temperatures rise.
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Managing attention deficit disorder by training the brain
Scientists (UNIGE/HUG) explored a technique called 'neurofeedback,' which enables ADHD patients to train their attention, based on instant feedback from the level of their brain activity. The team of neuroscientists found that not only did the training have a positive effect on patients' concentration abilities, but also that the attention improvement was closely linked to an enhanced response from the brain -- the P3 wave -- which is known to reflect integration of information in the brain.
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