ScienceDaily: Computers & Math News

Rare-earth elements are in many everyday products, such as smart phones, LED lights and batteries. However, only a few locations have large enough deposits worth mining, resulting in global supply chain tensions. So, there's a push toward recycling them from non-traditional sources, such as waste from burning coal -- fly ash. Now, researchers report a simple method for recovering these elements from coal fly ash using an ionic liquid.

A study involving virtual rather than real patients was as effective as traditional clinical trials in evaluating a medical device used to treat brain aneurysms, according to new research. The findings are proof of concept for what are called in-silico trials, where instead of recruiting people to a real-life clinical trial, researchers build digital simulations of patient groups, loosely akin to the way virtual populations are built in various computer games.

A research team has successfully developed halide perovskite-based memory with an ultra-fast switching speed.

Older people affected by memory loss have much to gain from AR technology, yet a study exploring the use of augmented reality to support older adults at home finds the user interface is sometimes confusing for those aged 50+.

Prior studies have investigated alternative approaches to pain reduction in burn injury patients that focus on distraction, such as music, hypnosis, toys, and virtual reality (VR). A research team has now reported the use of smartphone-based VR games during dressing changes in pediatric patients with burn injuries.