ScienceDaily: Top Technology News

When did the first COVID-19 case arise?

Posted: 24 Jun 2021 11:15 AM PDT

Using methods from conservation science, a new analysis suggests that the first case of COVID-19 arose between early October and mid-November, 2019 in China, with the most likely date of origin being November 17.

Versatile, fast and reliable SARS-CoV-2 antibody assay

Posted: 24 Jun 2021 10:55 AM PDT

During the continued progression of the coronavirus pandemic, rapid, inexpensive, and reliable tests will become increasingly important to determine whether people have the associated antibodies -- either through infection or vaccination. Researchers have now developed such a rapid antibody test. It provides the result in only eight minutes; the aim is to further reduce the process time to four minutes.

Cosmic hand hitting a wall

Posted: 24 Jun 2021 10:55 AM PDT

Motions of a remarkable cosmic structure have been measured for the first time, using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. The blast wave and debris from an exploded star are seen moving away from the explosion site and colliding with a wall of surrounding gas.

Nanotech and AI could hold key to unlocking global food security challenge

Posted: 24 Jun 2021 08:44 AM PDT

'Precision agriculture' where farmers respond in real time to changes in crop growth using nanotechnology and artificial intelligence (AI) could offer a practical solution to the challenges threatening global food security, a new study reveals.

Ultralight material withstands supersonic microparticle impacts

Posted: 24 Jun 2021 08:44 AM PDT

Engineers find 'nanoarchitected' materials designed from precisely patterned nanoscale structures may be a promising route to lightweight armor, protective coatings, blast shields, and other impact-resistant materials.

No lab required: New technology can diagnose infections in minutes

Posted: 24 Jun 2021 08:44 AM PDT

Engineering, biochemistry and medical researchers at McMaster University have combined their skills to create a hand-held rapid test for bacterial infections that can produce accurate, reliable results in less than an hour, eliminating the need to send samples to a lab.

Protocells spring into action

Posted: 24 Jun 2021 08:44 AM PDT

Scientists with an interest in protoliving technologies, have published research which paves the way to building new semi-autonomous devices with potential applications in miniaturized soft robotics, microscale sensing and bioengineering.

New protein engineering method could accelerate the discovery of COVID-19 therapeutics

Posted: 24 Jun 2021 08:43 AM PDT

Researchers have found a simple method for identifying nanobodies with drug-like properties suitable for preventing SARS-CoV-2 infections. They demonstrated the approach by generating nanobodies that neutralized the SARS-CoV-2 virus more potently than an antibody isolated from an infected patient and a nanobody isolated from an immunized animal.

The fifth quartet: Excited neon discovery could reveal star qualities

Posted: 24 Jun 2021 08:43 AM PDT

Researchers show that an excited state previously predicted to exist in neon-20 is real by using particle scattering experiments. By merging into five groups of four, the protons and neutrons in neon-20 can exist in a special condensed state. This work may help scientists understand low-density nucleon many-body systems and neutron stars.

Tree pollen carries SARS-CoV-2 particles farther, facilitates virus spread, study finds

Posted: 23 Jun 2021 04:40 PM PDT

A study on the role of microscopic particles in virus transmission suggests pollen is nothing to sneeze at. In a new study, researchers investigate how pollen facilitates the spread of an RNA virus like the COVID-19 virus. The study draws on cutting-edge computational approaches for analyzing fluid dynamics to mimic the pollen movement from a willow tree, a prototypical pollen emitter. Airborne pollen grains contribute to the spread of airborne viruses, especially in crowded environments.

Scientists obtain real-time look at how cancers evolve

Posted: 23 Jun 2021 11:48 AM PDT

With the help of machine learning, computational biologists are learning to predict how cancers will evolve.

New algorithm helps autonomous vehicles find themselves, summer or winter

Posted: 23 Jun 2021 11:16 AM PDT

An algorithm lets machines teach themselves how to recognize landscapes, even amid the changing seasons.

Harvesting drinking water from humid air around the clock

Posted: 23 Jun 2021 11:16 AM PDT

Researchers have developed a condenser for countries where water is in short supply. Theirs is a zero-energy solution for harvesting water from the atmosphere throughout the 24-hour daily cycle. It relies on a self-cooling surface and a special radiation shield.

Sneeze cam reveals best fabric combos for cloth masks

Posted: 23 Jun 2021 10:07 AM PDT

Researchers have used high-speed videos of a person sneezing to identify the optimal cloth mask design.

A novel energy storage solution featuring pipes and anchors

Posted: 23 Jun 2021 10:06 AM PDT

What do pipes and anchors have to do with storing energy? More than you might think! A new study explored the potential of a lesser known, but promising sustainable energy storage system called Buoyancy Energy Storage.

Fracture setting method could replace metal plates, with fewer complications

Posted: 23 Jun 2021 10:06 AM PDT

A new biocompatible polymer-based composite material could soon replace metal plates in treating difficult and unstable fractures. The newly-developed material is as strong as dental composites yet non-toxic.

Machine learning aids earthquake risk prediction

Posted: 23 Jun 2021 10:06 AM PDT

Soil liquefaction was a major feature of the 2011 Christchurch, New Zealand earthquake that killed 185 people. Researchers developed a machine learning model to predict the amount of lateral movement that can be expected from liquefaction during a natural hazard event. Their model, trained on Christchurch data, was 70% accurate at determining the amount of displacement that occurred.

Magneto-thermal imaging brings synchrotron capabilities to the lab

Posted: 23 Jun 2021 10:06 AM PDT

Coming soon to a lab tabletop near you: a method of magneto-thermal imaging that offers nanoscale and picosecond resolution previously available only in synchrotron facilities.

Exoplanets in 2,034 star-systems get cosmic front-row seat to see Earth

Posted: 23 Jun 2021 08:39 AM PDT

Scientists have identified 2,034 nearby star-systems -- within the small cosmic distance of 326 light-years -- that could find Earth merely by watching our pale blue dot cross our sun.

Low-cost imaging technique shows how smartphone batteries could charge in minutes

Posted: 23 Jun 2021 08:39 AM PDT

Researchers have developed a simple lab-based technique that allows them to look inside lithium-ion batteries and follow lithium ions moving in real time as the batteries charge and discharge, something which has not been possible until now.

Mechanism of magnetic sensing in birds

Posted: 23 Jun 2021 08:38 AM PDT

The magnetic sense of migratory birds such as European robins is thought to be based on a specific light-sensitive protein in the eye. Researchers demonstrate that the protein cryptochrome 4, found in birds' retinas, is sensitive to magnetic fields and could well be the long-sought magnetic sensor.

AI spots healthy stem cells quickly and accurately

Posted: 23 Jun 2021 08:38 AM PDT

Researchers have designed a deep learning-based system that accurately identifies individual skin stem cells grown under artificial conditions and tracks their motion. Using this system to perform quality control of stem cell cultures could improve the speed and efficiency of growing skin grafts for use in regenerative medicine and may also be useful for other types of stem cell cultures.

Earth-like biospheres on other planets may be rare

Posted: 23 Jun 2021 08:38 AM PDT

A new analysis of known exoplanets has revealed that Earth-like conditions on potentially habitable planets may be much rarer than previously thought. The work focuses on the conditions required for oxygen-based photosynthesis to develop on a planet, which would enable complex biospheres of the type found on Earth.

AI to track cognitive deviation in aging brains

Posted: 23 Jun 2021 07:02 AM PDT

Researchers have developed an artificial intelligence-based brain age prediction model to quantify deviations from a healthy brain-aging trajectory in patients with mild cognitive impairment, according to a new study. The model has the potential to aid in early detection of cognitive impairment at an individual level.

How to make lithium-ion batteries invincible

Posted: 23 Jun 2021 07:02 AM PDT

Scientists have made significant progress in developing battery cathodes using a new class of materials that provide batteries with the same if not higher energy density than conventional lithium-ion batteries but can be made of inexpensive and abundant metals. Known as DRX, which stands for disordered rocksalts with excess lithium, this novel family of materials was invented less than 10 years ago and allows cathodes to be made without nickel or cobalt.

Sound-induced electric fields control the tiniest particles

Posted: 23 Jun 2021 06:12 AM PDT

Engineers have devised a system for manipulating particles approaching the miniscule 2.5 nanometer diameter of DNA using sound-induced electric fields. Dubbed 'acoustoelectronic nanotweezers,' the approach provides a label-free, dynamically controllable method of moving and trapping nanoparticles over a large area. The technology holds promise for applications in the fields ranging from condensed matter physics to biomedicine.

Clear view of a boiling cauldron where stars are born

Posted: 23 Jun 2021 06:12 AM PDT

Astronomers hav created a high-resolution image of an expanding bubble of hot plasma and ionized gas where stars are born.

River flow: New machine learning methods could improve environmental predictions

Posted: 23 Jun 2021 06:12 AM PDT

Machine learning algorithms do a lot for us every day -- send unwanted email to our spam folder, warn us if our car is about to back into something, and give us recommendations on what TV show to watch next. Now, we are increasingly using these same algorithms to make environmental predictions for us.

Advancing research on environmentally friendly, hydrogen-enriched fuel

Posted: 23 Jun 2021 06:12 AM PDT

As you drive down the highway, you may notice an increasing number of hybrid and electric vehicles. Alternative energy automobiles are on the rise contributing to the global effort to reduce carbon emissions. As we move together down this road, researchers are looking to determine new solutions to this ongoing problem.

Combining three techniques boosts brain-imaging precision

Posted: 23 Jun 2021 06:12 AM PDT

Researchers have developed a method to combine three brain-imaging techniques to more precisely capture the timing and location of brain responses to a stimulus. Their study is the first to combine the three widely used technologies - fMRI, EEG and EROS - for simultaneous imaging of brain activity.

Mapping methane sources in Paris

Posted: 23 Jun 2021 06:12 AM PDT

A potent greenhouse gas, methane is released by many sources, both human and natural. Large cities emit significant amounts of methane, but in many cases the exact emission sources are unknown. Now, researchers have conducted mobile measurements of methane and its sources throughout Paris. Their findings suggest that the natural gas distribution network, the sewage system and furnaces of buildings are ideal targets for methane reduction efforts.

Mining precious rare-earth elements from coal fly ash with a reusable ionic liquid

Posted: 23 Jun 2021 06:12 AM PDT

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.

Using virtual populations for clinical trials

Posted: 23 Jun 2021 06:11 AM PDT

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.

Mind the gap: Scientists use stellar mass to link exoplanets to planet-forming disks

Posted: 23 Jun 2021 06:11 AM PDT

Data from 500 young stars observed with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submilliter Array (ALMA) is giving scientists a window back through time, allowing them to predict what exoplanetary systems looked like through each stage of their formation. And it all starts with a link between higher mass stars, disks with gaps in them, and a high occurrence of observed exoplanets.

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy: Error in calibration

Posted: 22 Jun 2021 06:13 AM PDT

New research shows that X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) can give misleading analysis results due to an erroneous assumption during calibration.

Virtual reality as pain relief: Reducing dressing change pain in pediatric burn patients

Posted: 21 Jun 2021 09:37 AM PDT

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.