News on research driving industry and manufacturing. Covers petrochemical emissions, food innovation, controlled-explosion labs, and industry-academic partnerships.
The National Institute for Health Research Innovation Observatory will apply Big Data analytics tools to explore trends in health innovation. The £10 million centre, based at Newcastle University, aims to provide better and more efficient healthcare for patients.
The Graphene Experience Zone at GSMA Mobile World Congress 2017 featured 20 demonstrators and prototypes showcasing graphene-enhanced mobile technologies. Key highlights included the BAC Mono graphene-enhanced car, which improved fuel efficiency and performance.
A new sensor system can continuously monitor the quality of engine oil in combined heat and power plants, providing reliable feedback on its condition and detecting potential deterioration. This enables operators to schedule maintenance more conveniently and reduce the risk of costly engine damage.
A new class of enhanced single-walled carbon nanotubes offers a more effective approach to water treatment and remediation, with the potential for regenerating filters by heating them in a microwave. The technology works because nanotubes dislike water, allowing only organic contaminants to stick to them.
The Owens Cluster is the most powerful supercomputer in Ohio Supercomputer Center history, featuring a peak performance of 1.5 petaflops. It provides a massive increase in computing power and storage space for researchers, enabling them to make extraordinary discoveries and innovations.
Scientists have discovered beachrocks along the Biscay coast with records of human activity, including industrial waste, trapped within their matrix. This finding provides evidence for the Anthropocene epoch and offers valuable insights into climate change.
Researchers have developed an adsorbent material from orange and grapefruit peels that can effectively remove heavy metals and organic compounds from wastewater. The new material has great potential as a sustainable alternative for industrial water treatment processes.
Researchers at the University of British Columbia found dairy cows are highly motivated to be outside, working equally hard to access pasture as they do to fresh feed. The study's findings support previous research that public opinion of a good life for cattle involves outdoor grazing access.
The American Chemical Society's 253rd National Meeting & Exposition will explore the impact of advanced materials, technologies, and systems on energy, environment, and health. The plenary talks will emphasize collaboration between industry and academia to foster sustainable development.
A study from the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management found that giving structure to information can hinder creativity and cognitive flexibility. Participants in organized information groups displayed less creativity and spent less time on tasks compared to those working with unorganized information.
The Journal of Dairy Science has established a new honor for its most productive authors, who have authored or coauthored 100 or more papers in the journal. This first class of authors will receive a plaque and be part of Club 100.
Researchers at John Innes Centre discovered how and why 'anthocyanic vacuolar inclusions' form in plants, causing vibrant colors like purple, blue, and orange-red hues. These structures help guide pollinators to flowers or animals to fruits for seed dispersal.
Researchers at Oregon State University found that workers in the state's seafood processing industry suffer serious injuries at higher rates than the statewide average, with an average annual rate of 24 claims per 1,000 workers.
Scientists create a more environmentally friendly way to produce vanillin by encapsulating copper-aluminum hydrotalcite in silica. The new process eliminates the need for polluting hydrochloric acid and allows for catalyst reuse.
A team of engineers and doctors is developing a tool to identify poor posture and correct awkward positions in the operating room. Early results show that the tool is effective at spotting pain-inducing positions, which could lead to improved surgical safety for surgeons.
Researcher Sandra Roos developed a comprehensive life cycle analysis to map the environmental impact of clothing. She found that conventional cotton growing is particularly heavy on the environment, but post-fibre processing stages like dyeing are equally hazardous. The most effective way for consumers to reduce their environmental loa...
The 4DHeart project aims to bridge the gap between academia and industry, providing training for 6 predoctoral researchers in Europe. Students will be jointly supervised by academics and industry experts, gaining experience in research, innovation, and science communication.
PAWR will provide unprecedented capabilities for wireless platform experimentation, potentially revolutionizing the nation's wireless infrastructure. The project aims to develop best practices and reference architectures for next-generation wireless technologies, including millimeter wave, to enable groundbreaking research.
Researchers found that rats drinking water infused with rare-sugar syrup gained less weight and had lower blood glucose and insulin levels. The study suggests that rare sugars could be a good alternative sweetener to regulate glucose levels.
The NSF has awarded a $6.1 million grant to US Ignite, Inc. and Northeastern University to establish city-scale testing platforms for advanced wireless research. This collaboration aims to develop faster and more robust wireless networks, addressing the growing demand from devices such as smartphones and wearable technology.
A study published in the Journal of Operations Management found that a production system called seru can help manufacturers remain competitive in high-cost markets. Seru is a cellular assembly approach that uses highly trained workers to achieve responsiveness and quality.
Researchers at Brown University created an algorithm that enables robots to ask for clarification when unsure about object requests. The system uses a combination of speech commands and human gestures to improve interpretation accuracy and efficiency.
A new study by Uppsala University reveals that household electricity use can be reduced substantially when residents are forced to pay for their own consumption. The study found that 20% of tenants accounted for up to two-thirds of the reduction in electricity consumption, highlighting the need for fairer distribution of costs.
The Food Agility CRC will focus on developing digital solutions to simplify the jobs of growers, processors, and retailers. By integrating sensing, communications, and data analysis technologies, the CRC hopes to create simple, user-friendly tools that help businesses make quick decisions and tap into more data streams.
A Washington State University research team has developed a more efficient catalytic reaction to convert methane into useful products, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and energy waste. The innovation could lead to significant energy savings in the oil and gas industry.
The UK government is investing £128 million in the Henry Royce Institute to advance materials research and innovation. The institute aims to create a critical component of the UK's industrial strategy, providing a 'missing link' in the development of materials for various applications.
The Colorado School of Mines and Virginia Tech are teaming up to develop an integrated approach to locating, characterizing, and visualizing mineral resources. The consortium aims to boost exploration success rates, advance mining operations, and cut costs while minimizing financial risk and environmental impact.
The UK government has invested £100 million in a new research institute, the Rosalind Franklin Institute, to develop innovative technologies and treatments for diseases. The institute will bring together experts from across the UK to tackle major health challenges and accelerate the discovery of new treatments.
A new study by Adam Yore found that executive indiscretions can result in significant losses for companies, with dishonesty being the most damaging, causing a 4.1% loss in shareholder value.
A Michigan State University scholar is warning about conflicts of interest in research, advising readers to apply everyday skepticism and check reputable scientific societies for guidance. Case studies show groups with financial interests have deliberately withheld or distorted information to achieve desired results.
Researchers at the University of Illinois have developed IoT sensors that can be embedded in sports equipment to provide real-time analytics. These sensors, costing under $100, enable players and coaches to track movement and performance with high accuracy.
The green peach aphid can colonize over four hundred plant species due to its ability to rapidly adjust gene expression in response to different hosts. This adaptation allows the insect to feed on essential crops and transmit plant viruses, causing significant losses in crop yields.
Researchers at Georgia Tech have developed a new form of ransomware that can take over control of simulated water treatment plants, highlighting vulnerabilities in industrial control systems. The attack demonstrates the potential for attackers to compromise programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and hold critical systems hostage.
Researchers Juan Cassasquilla and Roger Melko repurpose Google's TensorFlow algorithm to distinguish phases of a simple magnet and find the boundary between phases. The successful results open up new opportunities for research and potential real-world applications in condensed matter physics.
Researchers developed a method to introduce proteins into plant cells using non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasmas. The technique successfully showed high protein uptake in tobacco, rice, and Arabidopsis leaves, offering potential applications in genome editing and analysis of protein function.
Researchers at FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg have developed a new sheet bulk metal forming process that combines two manufacturing methods to create complex functional components with wider applications. The project aims to improve the surface contact, reduce tool wear, and enable batch production for industry partners.
Researchers at Washington State University are utilizing a fully automated 'plant hotel' to analyze the effects of global warming on plant growth. The machine can mimic various climate conditions, allowing scientists to study the genetic underpinnings of stress tolerance in plants and how they respond to environmental changes.
The launch of MAPP marks a significant step towards addressing the challenges and opportunities surrounding advanced powder processes. Leading UK researchers, industry partners, and the High Value Manufacturing Catapult come together to develop new manufacturing technologies and improve outcomes for UK manufacturing.
A consumer EEG device is generating valuable data for neuroscience research, revealing new information on what happens to our thinking processes as we age. The device's large-scale data collection has enabled scientists to study the brain in the real world, shedding light on sex differences and cognitive functions.
Researchers from NUS develop high-performance and low-power driven THz emitters that can be mass-produced at low cost and function on flexible surfaces. These advancements accelerate the application of THz technology in various fields, including safety surveillance, disease diagnosis and imaging.
Scientists at the University of Sussex discovered that wasps trade partners compete for the 'best deal', influenced by market forces. The study showed that supply and demand theory can predict insect behavior, revealing parallels between wasp populations and human business markets.
A team of researchers from the Polytechnic University of Bari proposes a new control scheme that improves dynamic performance and disturbance rejection. They also introduce an improved pre-filter to assist the system in maintaining attention on relevant data, enabling quicker integration and acceptance.
The USDA has invested $13.6 million in four new grants to combat citrus greening disease, also known as Huanglongbing, which is affecting the US citrus industry. Researchers will use CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing and nanotechnology approaches to develop resistant varieties and bactericides.
Researchers improve climate models by incorporating industrial ecology approaches, including metal recycling, to consider a wider spectrum of mitigation options. This could enable IAMs to predict more realistic scenarios and inform policymakers about the potential impact of different strategies.
A study found that financial ties between researchers and the drug industry are associated with more favorable trial outcomes. The authors suggest that this could lead to biased evidence and call for increased transparency and disclosure of financial ties. More research is needed to understand the mechanisms behind these findings.
A growing body of evidence suggests that patient advocacy groups funded by pharmaceutical companies may promote treatments that serve the companies' interests rather than patients' needs. Studies have found that these groups are often biased towards funding sources, with some reporting pressure to conform to industry positions.
A new UC Berkeley study finds that crowdfunding has opened up funding to entrepreneurs in regions lacking venture capital investment. Successful Kickstarter campaigns have been shown to increase venture capital funding in those areas.
The £4.4 million BBSRC BRAVO project will support the training of young scientists and raise industry stakeholder awareness through workshops in Brassica genetics, genomics, phenotyping and modelling. This knowledge will help develop new, more resilient varieties of Brassica crops.
The Journal of 3D Printing in Medicine covers all aspects of bioprinting and 3D printing relevant to medicine, providing a forum for research, reviews, and commentary. The journal presents key data and opinions on emerging developments in the field.
A team of researchers from Swansea University has made a breakthrough in reducing corrosion by developing a new method that outperforms existing products. The new coating lasts up to 12 times as long and is 20 times faster than current methods.
Experts have discovered a new genetic disease that causes neurodegeneration and accelerates brain cell death. The disease, ataxia oculomotor apraxia type XRCC1, is caused by a genetic mutation that disrupts DNA repair mechanisms.
Professor Daniel Zilberman has received a Consolidator Grant from the European Research Council to study epigenetic information transmission in plant generations. This research is crucial for improving human health and nutrition, as well as developing sustainable agriculture practices.
The workshop emphasized social acceptability, aboriginal community involvement, and improving energy demand forecasts for northern regions. Researchers from Iceland and Quebec explored geothermal energy potential, data limitations, and demonstration projects to validate assumptions regarding low-temperature heat pumps.
Dr. Christine Faulkner has been awarded a European Research Council Consolidator Grant to investigate how plant cells communicate and coordinate responses to pathogen threats. The grant will support large-scale research on defence signals triggered by single cells and their transmission through whole plants.
Researchers at UTHealth found that industrialization led to a rapid decline in vertebrate populations, with an average decline of 25% every 10 years for endangered species. Preserving ecosystems and habitats is crucial to preventing this decline.
A UK soft drinks industry levy is estimated to have significant health benefits, especially among children. The study finds that reducing sugar content and increasing prices of high-sugar drinks will have the greatest impact on health.
Researchers at the University of Illinois have made a groundbreaking discovery that could revolutionize the petroleum industry. By altering the molecular structure of alkanes, they can significantly increase their flow rate, potentially reducing fueling times to mere seconds.
The PolyU-Huawei Joint Laboratory focuses on high-capacity optical communication systems, computer networks, and big data computing to pioneer research in optical communication systems. This collaboration aims to develop system infrastructure and algorithmic solutions for computing-driven innovation.
A team of researchers has found evidence of early pollution caused by copper combustion in a 7,000-year-old dry riverbed in southern Jordan. The discovery sheds light on the Chalcolithic period, when humans transitioned from stone tools to metal production, and highlights the environmental impact of industrial-scale metal production.
The DFG is establishing 20 new Research Training Groups to support early career researchers, including topics such as medical imaging, analysis of authority and trust in US politics and society. The groups will receive €87 million in funding over four and a half years.