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Feb 20, 2023

Researchers store computer operating system and short movie on DNA

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, computing, information science, mobile phones

Humanity may soon generate more data than hard drives or magnetic tape can handle, a problem that has scientists turning to nature’s age-old solution for information-storage—DNA.

In a new study in Science, a pair of researchers at Columbia University and the New York Genome Center (NYGC) show that an algorithm designed for streaming video on a cellphone can unlock DNA’s nearly full storage potential by squeezing more information into its four base nucleotides. They demonstrate that this technology is also extremely reliable.

DNA is an ideal storage medium because it’s ultra-compact and can last hundreds of thousands of years if kept in a cool, dry place, as demonstrated by the recent recovery of DNA from the bones of a 430,000-year-old human ancestor found in a cave in Spain.

Feb 20, 2023

Nanoparticle-based targeted drug delivery system for treatment of obesity and atherosclerosis

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, nanotechnology, neuroscience

A research team from LKS Faculty of Medicine, the University of Hong Kong (HKUMed) has developed thyroid hormone (TH)–encapsulated nanoparticles modified with an adipose-homing peptide, which selectively transports TH to adipose tissues. This will advance the treatment of obesity-related medical complications with TH by overcoming the severe adverse effects caused by systemic administration. The new findings are now published in Nature Communications.

Obesity is a major risk factor for multiple life-threatening such as diabetes and cardiovascular and neurodegenerative disorders. TH is an ancient hormone with therapeutic potential for obesity and its related medical complications by promoting energy expenditure. However, despite enormous research efforts in the past decades, have failed to demonstrate obvious clinical benefits of chronic systemic administration of TH on in obese individuals.

Furthermore, due to widespread expression of TH receptors, systemic administration of TH often leads to serious deleterious effects on multiple organs, including tachycardia, , muscle wasting, and osteoporosis. Skeletal muscle and adipose tissues are thought to be the two major target organs where TH exerts its stimulatory actions on metabolic rate and energy expenditure. However, whether selective delivery of TH to adipose tissues is sufficient to induce weight loss remains unclear.

Feb 20, 2023

Physicists have developed an efficient modem for the future quantum internet

Posted by in categories: computing, internet, quantum physics

Physicists at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics have developed the basic technology for a new “quantum modem”. It will allow users to connect to a future quantum internet that is based on the existing fibre optic network infrastructure.

Research

The first quantum revolution brought about semiconductor electronics, the laser and finally the internet. The coming, second quantum revolution promises spy-proof communication, extremely precise quantum sensors and quantum computers for previously unsolvable computing tasks. But this revolution is still in its infancy. A central research object is the interface between local quantum devices and light quanta that enable the remote transmission of highly sensitive quantum information. The Otto-Hahn group “Quantum Networks” at the Max-Planck-Institute of Quantum Optics in Garching is researching such a “quantum modem”. The team has now achieved a first breakthrough in a relatively simple but highly efficient technology that can be integrated into existing fibre optic networks. The work is published this week in “Physical Review X”.

Feb 20, 2023

First Wearable Device for Vocal Fatigue Senses When Your Voice Needs a Break

Posted by in categories: electronics, wearables

Summary: A newly developed sensor tracks a person’s vocal use and alerts them to overuse before vocal fatigue and potential injury occur.

Source: Northwestern University.

Northwestern University researchers have developed the first smart wearable device to continuously track how much people use their voices, alerting them to overuse before vocal fatigue and potential injury set in.

Feb 20, 2023

Robotaxi tackling ‘two-headed situation’ of self-driving safety, unpredictability: Zoox CEO

Posted by in categories: employment, finance, robotics/AI, transportation

Nice. But I’m more concerned about the jobs that will be lost from this.


#Zoox #youtube #ai #yahoofinance.
This segment originally aired on February 17, 2023.
Zoox CEO Aicha Evans joins Yahoo Finance Live anchors Dave Briggs and Seana Smith to discuss approval of its self-driving auto by the California DMV, the state of the autonomous vehicle industry, and Amazon’s ownership of the company.
Don’t Miss: Valley of Hype: The culture that built Elizabeth Holmes.
WATCH HERE:

Continue reading “Robotaxi tackling ‘two-headed situation’ of self-driving safety, unpredictability: Zoox CEO” »

Feb 20, 2023

ChatGPT Has A Serious Problem

Posted by in category: robotics/AI

It seems it has significant bias.


In this episode we look at the problem of ChatGPT’s political bias, solutions and some wild stories of the new Bing AI going off the rails.

Continue reading “ChatGPT Has A Serious Problem” »

Feb 20, 2023

Stretching-insensitive stretchable and biocompatible triboelectric nanogenerators

Posted by in categories: energy, engineering, nanotechnology, wearables

Professor Juhyuk Lee of the Department of Energy Engineering has developed an elastic triboelectric generator that can be used in the daily lives of frequent movers. The cause of the output reduction of the elastic triboelectric sensor was identified during joint research with Professor Joohun Lee of Hanyang University’s (ERICA campus) Department of Bio-Nanotechnology. Additionally, the professor used graphene to develop a touch sensor with stable output and expand the application of the triboelectric generator. The study is published in the journal Nano Energy.

Along with the rapid growth of various biosensors and due to the continuous development of semiconductors and small electronic components, there has been a growing interest in triboelectric generators for use as sensors or . To use the triboelectric generator in a wearable device, the material that comes into contact with the body must be safe, and the output must be constant despite any deformations caused by movement.

However, the output of conventional elastic triboelectric generators is affected by its change in form. The reason for this relationship was not clearly understood. Similar to previously existing products, there are limitations to precise detection if the output changes along with the change in form, such as stretching.

Feb 20, 2023

Two-dimensional oxides open door for high-speed electronics

Posted by in categories: computing, materials

Advances in computing power over the decades have come thanks in part to our ability to make smaller and smaller transistors, a building block of electronic devices, but we are nearing the limit of the silicon materials typically used. A new technique for creating 2D oxide materials may pave the way for future high-speed electronics, according to an international team of scientists.

“One way we can make our transistors, our , work faster is to shrink the distance electrons have to travel between point A and B,” said Joshua Robinson, professor of materials science and engineering at Penn State. “You can only go so far with 3D materials like silicon—once you shrink it down to a nanometer, its properties change. So there’s been a massive push looking at new materials, one of which are 2D materials.”

The team, led by Furkan Turker, graduate student in the Department of Materials Sciences, used a technique called confinement hetroepitaxy, or CHet, to create 2D oxides, materials with special properties that can serve as an atomically thin insulating layer between layers of electrically conducting materials.

Feb 20, 2023

Facile and scalable production of a fuel-cell nanocatalyst for the hydrogen economy

Posted by in categories: economics, energy, nanotechnology, transportation

A fuel cell is an electric power generator that is capable of producing electricity from hydrogen gas while discharging only water as a waste product. It is hoped that this highly efficient clean energy system will play a key role in the adoption of the hydrogen economy, replacing the combustion engines and batteries in automobiles and trucks, as well as power plants.

However, the cost of platinum, which can be up to ~30,000 USD per kg, has been a major limitation, making catalysts prohibitively expensive. The production methods of highly-performing catalysts have also been complicated and largely limited. Accordingly, the development of a facile and scalable production method for platinum-based fuel cell catalysts is an urgent challenge, together with enhancing catalytic performance and stability while using a minimum amount of platinum.

To tackle this issue, a research team led by Prof. Sung Yung-Eun and Prof. Hyeon Taeghwan at the Center for Nanoparticle Research (CNR) within the Institute for Basic Science (IBS), South Korea has discovered a novel method for the production of nanocatalysts.

Feb 20, 2023

‘Flash Joule’ technique efficiently turns would-be pollution into valuable nanomaterials

Posted by in categories: economics, nanotechnology, sustainability

Putting that soda bottle or takeout container into the recycling bin is far from a guarantee it will be turned into something new. Scientists at Rice University are trying to address this problem by making the process profitable.

The amount of waste produced globally has doubled over the past two decades—and plastic production is expected to triple by 2050—with most of it ending up in landfills, incinerated or otherwise mismanaged, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Some estimates suggest only 5% is actually being recycled.

“Waste plastic is rarely recycled because it costs a lot of money to do all the washing, sorting and melting down of the plastics to turn it into a material that can be used by a factory,” said Kevin Wyss, a Rice graduate student and lead author on a study published in Advanced Materials that describes how he and colleagues in the lab of chemist James Tour used their flash Joule heating technique to turn plastic into valuable carbon nanotubes and hybrid nanomaterials.