Tech

Mitchell Finer, PhD, a scientist with expertise in biochemistry and molecular biology, who has had an integral role in the success of numerous biotechnology companies, including most recently as chief scientific officer of gene therapy innovator bluebird bio, shares insights on his experiences and what it takes to shepherd a biotech start-up to commercial success in an interview recently published in Human Gene Therapy Clinical Development.

This news release is available in German.

Modern scientific understanding has considered multiple sclerosis (MS) to be a disease controlled by the T cell, a type of white blood cell. Research has shown that in MS, T cells inappropriately attack myelin, the protective layer of fat covering nerves in the central nervous system, exposing them to damage.

Optimization problems are everywhere in engineering: Balancing design tradeoffs is an optimization problem, as are scheduling and logistical planning. The theory -- and sometimes the implementation -- of control systems relies heavily on optimization, and so does machine learning, which has been the basis of most recent advances in artificial intelligence.

There is tremendous potential for new information technology based on light (photons). Photons (light particles) are very well suited for carrying information and quantum technology based on photons -- called quantum photonics, will be able to hold much more information than current computer technology. But in order to create a network with photons, you need a photon contact, a kind of transistor that can control the transport of photons in a circuit.

Graphene has generally been described as a two-dimensional structure--a single sheet of carbon atoms arranged in a regular structure--but the reality is not so simple. In reality, graphene can form wrinkles which make the structure more complicated, potentially being applied to device systems. The graphene can also interact with the substrate upon which it is laid, adding further complexity.

The process of evaporation, one of the most widespread on our planet, takes place differently than we once thought - this has been shown by new computer simulations carried out at the Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw. The discovery has far-reaching consequences for, among others, current global climate models, where a key role is played by evaporation of the oceans.

Communication in human dialogue is based on one another's words and body language. We can sense whether the other person is distracted, and we change the course of our conversation and our actions to regain their attention.

Most existing robots, however, still use monologue mechanisms, even when engaging in dialogue with a person. For example, they continue speaking in the same way, even if the person is not paying attention.

Turbulence not just affects our well-being during flights; it also plays a central role in nature and in technology: it influences how pollutants spread in the atmosphere, how efficiently fuel and air mix up in combustion motors, and it limits the transport of liquids in pipelines, to give just a few examples. As a result, researchers have been trying for over a hundred years to better understand how turbulence first arises. Important progress has now been achieved by physicist Björn Hof, professor at IST Austria, and his colleagues.

This is shown by a report published today by a consortium of 14 research institutes. The scientists and economists provide a detailed analysis of the energy sector transformations required to implement the intended nationally determined contributions (so called INDCs), in major economies and at the global level in aggregate, and their potential for keeping the below 2 degrees goal within reach.

Pregnant women with preeclampsia have a higher risk of delivering an infant with a congenital heart defect. An extensive study of 1.9 million mother and infant pairs by a team at the University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre (CRCHUM) has shown significant association between these diseases in mothers and newborns from early pregnancy. The study published this week in the prestigious Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), provides the basis for future research to better prevent and detect these diseases.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] -- Researchers from Brown University, in collaboration with colleagues from Harvard, have developed a new way to control light from phosphorescent emitters at very high speeds. The technique provides a new approach to modulation that could be useful in all kinds of silicon-based nanoscale devices, including computer chips and other optoelectronic components.

When the eye of a tropical cyclone is 36 nautical miles (41.4 mile/ 66.7 km) wide, it's pretty easy to spot from NASA's Aqua satellite in orbit. On October 22, 2015, two instruments aboard Aqua saw the large eye surrounded by powerful thunderstorms. Champi's eye was very close to the island of Iwo To, Japan.

No larger than a pack of chewing gum, the prototype developed by EPFL's Integrated Systems Laboratory (LSI) is deceptively simple in appearance. But this little black case with two thin tubes sticking out contains some real miniaturized high-tech wonders. "We embedded biosensors in it to measure several different substances in the blood or blood serum along with an array of electronics to transmit the results in real time to a tablet via Bluetooth," said Sandro Carrara, an LSI scientist.

The Global Precipitation Measurement mission, or GPM, core satellite is getting a workout in the western North Pacific Ocean as it gathered rainfall and cloud height data on Typhoon Champi.

Both Typhoon Champi and Super-typhoon Koppu formed on Oct. 13, 2015. Champi is still a typhoon because it stayed over the open waters of the Pacific Ocean, but Super-typhoon Koppu's strength was sapped by its travel over the rugged terrain of the Philippines.