Mar 22, 2022 (Nanowerk News) A research team from Friedrich Schiller University Jena has developed a molecular photosystem inspired by nature that generates hydrogen under visible light irradiation. In contrast to other existing systems of this type, it functions without the use of precious or heavy metals. Low-cost and environmentally...
‘Off label’ use of imaging databases could lead to bias in AI algorithms, study finds
Mar 22, 2022 (Nanowerk News) Significant advances in artificial intelligence (AI) over the past decade have relied upon extensive training of algorithms using massive, open-source databases. But when such datasets are used “off label” and applied in unintended ways, the results are subject to machine learning bias that compromises the...
Quantum dots shine bright to help scientists see inflammatory cells in fat
Mar 22, 2022 (Nanowerk News) To accurately diagnose and treat diseases, doctors and researchers need to see inside bodies. Medical imaging tools have come a long way since the humble x-ray, but most existing tools remain too coarse to quantify numbers or specific types of cells inside deep tissues of...
Engineers develop a ‘magnetic tentacle robot’ to pass into the narrow tubes of the lung
Mar 22, 2022 (Nanowerk News) Engineers and scientists have developed proof of concept for a robot that can reach some of the smallest bronchial tubes in the lungs - to take tissue samples or deliver cancer therapy. Known as a magnetic tentacle robot, it measures just 2 millimetres in diameter,...
Design tweak helps prevent malfunction in yarns designed to store energy
Mar 22, 2022 (Nanowerk News) In a new study, North Carolina State University researchers found a way to prevent electrical malfunctions in yarns designed to store electrical energy. Ultimately, the findings could help advance the development of âsmart textilesâ that would capture energy from the wearerâs movements and power sensors...
Study analyses the characteristics of Apophis, the asteroid that will approach Earth in 2029
Mar 22, 2022 (Nanowerk News) The study (Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, "APOPHIS – effects of the 2029 Earth’s encounter on the surface and nearby dynamics"), in which the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) and the Universidad Estatal Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho (Júlio de Mesquita Filho...
Bionic wing flaps improve wind energy efficiency
Mar 22, 2022 (Nanowerk News) Wind energy relies on efficient wind turbine blades, which act as airfoils, structures akin to an airplane wing. Air flow control accessories similar to those found in aircraft improve the turbine blade's aerodynamic performance. In the Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy ("Using the combined...
Attosecond pulses: 100 times more
Mar 22, 2022 (Nanowerk News) Attosecond laser pulses in the extreme ultraviolet (XUV) are a unique tool enabling the observation and control of electron dynamics in atoms, molecules, and solids. Most attosecond laser sources operate at a pulse repetition rate of 1 kHz (1000 shots per second), which limits their...
Making wooden construction materials fire-resistant with an eco-friendly coating
Mar 22, 2022 (Nanowerk News) Devastating residential blazes and wildfires take a terrible toll in terms of deaths and injuries, as well as property loss. Today, researchers will report on a new type of coating that could limit the flammability of wood used in construction, potentially providing more time to...
Kirigami-style, self-folding circuit boards
Mar 22, 2022 (Nanowerk Spotlight) In an effort to develop simpler ways to fabricate complex 3D (nano)structures for use in electronics and other areas, researchers have repeatedly made use of kirigami at the nanoscale (see for instance our previous Nanowerk Spotlight on "kirigami-structured graphene-polymer hybrid nanocomposite for strain sensors"). Kirigami...