Articles
Tonic thermoelectric materials – powering future technology
Are you wearing a smartwatch? If so, what powers it? Chances are, it’s charged using mains electricity. But soon your body’s heat could be powering your wearable devices, using thermopower. Thermoelectric (TE) generators convert thermal energy into electricity. However, conventional TE generators typically can’t provide the voltage levels needed in small, wearable devices. But ionic thermoelectric materials (i-TE materials) can. […]
Read More… from Tonic thermoelectric materials – powering future technology
Challenging established theory: History of Japanese basketball
Basketball was introduced to Japan as early as 1902 as a sport in mission schools, according to new research by Dr Tetsuji Kakiyama, Professor of Sports and Health Sciences of Fukuoka University, Japan. His research overthrows established theories about the transfer of the game to Japan and shows how basketball was first played by girls in Japan who were taught […]
Read More… from Challenging established theory: History of Japanese basketball
Metamaterials and the new rules of refraction
Waves are amazing things. We use light waves for telecommunications applications and make use of mechanical waves for everything from musical instruments to sensing. Being able to control and use waves, though, relies on components to manipulate their properties. Drs Simone Zanotto and Alessandro Pitanti at the CNR – Istituto di Nanoscienze in Pisa, Italy, are now developing a new […]
Read More… from Metamaterials and the new rules of refraction
The success of simple metaphors in communicating brain science
The Alberta Family Wellness Initiative, supported by the Calgary-based Palix Foundation, has succeeded in achieving individual, organisational, and systems level change regarding brain development, epigenetics, mental health, and addiction. The Brain Story, which uses simple metaphors to communicate complex brain science, has proven an effective tool to achieve this change and move towards building more resilient individuals and communities. Until […]
Read More… from The success of simple metaphors in communicating brain science
Loneliness and social isolation: How can we protect our mental health and cognitive functions?
It is well known that social isolation can cause poor mental and physical health. Our recent global experience of compulsory social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic has created a need to find new ways to prevent its devastating consequences, such as anxiety-induced cognitive decline, from manifesting. Dr Jing Liang and her team at the University of Southern California’s Mann School […]
Regulating RNA interference by modifying RNA backbone with amides
Professor Eriks Rozners and colleagues at Binghamton University in New York, USA, are using innovative nucleic acid chemistry to modify RNA-based technologies such as RNA interference (RNAi) and Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) to enhance their utility in molecular biology. These technologies suffer from off-target effects that limit their clinical utility. By replacing phosphates in the backbone with […]
Read More… from Regulating RNA interference by modifying RNA backbone with amides
Stock market valuation: Don’t hate the player, hate the game!
There is great importance in understanding how the overvaluation of a corporate company impacts the market. Shushu Liao of Kühne Logistics University in Germany and her co-author Marco Errico have shown that if investors were to have access to equal and accurate financial information for their investments, overvaluation wouldn’t be at the mercy of corporate managers. Consequently, overvalued financial reports […]
Read More… from Stock market valuation: Don’t hate the player, hate the game!
Understanding field scattering in AlGaN/GaN heterostructure field-effect transistors
Field-effect transistors featuring stacked layers of semiconductors are important elements of many electrical devices, especially in wireless communication systems. Through a series of studies, research led by Professor Zhaojun Lin at Shandong University, China, has identified one particular mechanism driving an unavoidable limitation in these devices. By drawing from their new theoretical description of ‘polarisation Coulomb field scattering’, the team […]
Read More… from Understanding field scattering in AlGaN/GaN heterostructure field-effect transistors
Madinah House: More than just a shelter
Madinah House in Trinidad operated as a shelter from domestic abuse for 20 years. Upon its closure, former board members Dr Amina Ibrahim-Ali from the University of West Indies and Nura Amina Ali, formerly of the Children’s Authority of Trinidad and Tobago, undertook a systematic investigation, documenting the day-to-day running of this Caribbean safehouse, as well as revealing more about […]
The flipside of DNA: Flipons and alternative nucleic acid structures
DNA sequences called flipons can adopt alternative DNA structures. New research suggests that they have important biological roles. In a quest to further unravel the mystery of these dynamic DNA elements, Dr Alan Herbert, InsideOutBio Inc, USA, and colleagues have spent years conducting experiments at the cutting edge of genomic and molecular science. Now, they demonstrate that by targeting flipons, […]
Read More… from The flipside of DNA: Flipons and alternative nucleic acid structures