Thursday 13 June 2019

Magnetism: An unexpected push for the hydrogen economy

Humankind has entered uncharted territory: atmospheric CO2 levels have soared to a record-breaking 415 ppm for the first time in human history. The need to find a sustainable alternative to CO2-producing fuels is urgent. One of the most promising and environmentally friendly energetic sources is hydrogen generated via water splitting, the reaction in which water is broken down into oxygen and hydrogen. Now, researchers from the Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia are bringing this hydrogen economy one step closer in an unexpected way.

* This article was originally published here

Skinflow: A soft robotic skin based on liquid transmission

Researchers at the Bristol Robotics Laboratory and the University of Bristol have recently developed a new soft robotic skin-like sensor that is based on fluidic transmission. This sensor, presented at the second IEEE International Conference on Soft Robotics (RoboSoft), could have interesting applications in a variety of fields, ranging from robotics to virtual reality (VR).

* This article was originally published here

Novel denoising method generates sharper photorealistic images faster

Monte Carlo computational methods are behind many of the realistic images in games and movies. They automate the complexities in simulating the physics of lights and cameras to generate high-quality renderings from samples of diverse image features and scenes. But the process of Monte Carlo rendering is slow and can take hours—or even days—to produce a single image, and oftentimes the results are still pixelated, or "noisy."

* This article was originally published here

Cardiac toxicity risk factors identified with relapsed multiple myeloma therapy

More than half of patients with relapsed multiple myeloma treated with carfilzomib experienced cardiac issues during treatment, according to a multi-institutional study published June 12 in Journal of Clinical Oncology. The study recommends that patients undergo a detailed cardiovascular history before being prescribed carfilzomib and then be monitored with natriuretic peptide testing, an indicator for heart failure.

* This article was originally published here

Uber tests drone food delivery, launches new autonomous SUV

Uber is testing restaurant food deliveries by drone.

* This article was originally published here

How to get the jiggle out: 3 exercises to tone your upper arms

(HealthDay)—Getting your upper arms in shape is a worthy ambition in any season, and the triceps are the muscles to target for a sleek look.

* This article was originally published here

Why you should try rhubarb

(HealthDay)—Despite its vibrant green and red stalks, rhubarb might be one of the most overlooked plants in the garden.

* This article was originally published here

Sickle cell disease needs more attention

The promise of new treatments for sickle cell disease, a group of inherited red blood cell disorders, has never been so great, but it will only be realized if there is constant investment in health policies such as programs for screening newborns, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, where most cases occur.

* This article was originally published here

Elephants walk more direct paths under risk of poaching

Elephants move faster and straighter when moving through risky areas, researchers have discovered, meandering more when safer.

* This article was originally published here

New assay detects patients' resistance to antimalarial drugs from a drop of blood

Antimalarial drugs appear to follow a typical pattern, with early effectiveness eventually limited by the emergence of drug resistance. A report in the Journal of Molecular Diagnostics describes a new assay using whole blood that simplifies the genetic analysis of malarial parasites by completely eliminating processing steps. This provides rapid access to critical information associated with resistance to antimalarials at the point of care, avoiding the time, expense, and effort of having the sample sent to a central laboratory and allowing clinicians to quickly re-evaluate treatment options.

* This article was originally published here

Inexpensive, simple fabrication method poised to expand microlens applications

A growing number of applications, including smartphone cameras, depend on microlenses to boost performance. A newly developed technology, called laser catapulting, could make it much easier and less expensive to fabricate these miniaturized lenses with customized properties, such as shape or focusing power.

* This article was originally published here