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Self-powered paper-based 'SPEDs' may lead to new medical-diagnostic tools
A new medical-diagnostic device made out of paper detects biomarkers and identifies diseases by performing electrochemical analyses -- powered only by the user's touch -- and reads out the color-coded test results, making it easy for non-experts to understand. 08/22/2017 03:36 PM
Tricking the eye to defeat shoulder surfing attacks
Researchers have developed the first application to combat 'shoulder-surfing' of PINS and passwords: a hybrid-image keyboard that appears one way to the close-up user and differently at a distance. The technology blends one image of a keyboard configuration with high spatial frequency and a completely different one with low spatial frequency. Experiments showed it was effective for mobile phones and when video cameras recorded PIN entry, as might happen at an ATM. 08/22/2017 03:36 PM
Firing of neurons changes the cells that insulate them
Through their pattern of firing, neurons influence the behavior of the cells that upon maturation will provide insulation of neuronal axons, according to a new study. The findings suggest the existence of a complex and nuanced interplay between neurons and the non-neuronal cells that support and protect them. 08/22/2017 02:57 PM
Does a mother's pre-pregnancy weight determine her child's metabolism?
The link between a mother's body mass index (BMI) before pregnancy and the metabolic traits of her children is likely mediated by shared genetics and familial lifestyle rather than effects on the fetus during gestation, according to new study. 08/22/2017 02:57 PM
Hubble's twisted galaxy
Gravity governs the movements of the cosmos. It draws flocks of galaxies together to form small groups and more massive galaxy clusters, and brings duos so close that they begin to tug at one another. This latter scenario can have extreme consequences, with members of interacting pairs of galaxies often being dramatically distorted, torn apart, or driven to smash into one another, abandoning their former identities and merging to form a single accumulation of gas, dust and stars. 08/22/2017 02:50 PM
Saturn-lit Tethys
Cassini gazes across the icy rings of Saturn toward the icy moon Tethys, whose night side is illuminated by Saturnshine, or sunlight reflected by the planet. 08/22/2017 02:47 PM
Large asteroid to safely pass Earth on Sept. 1
Asteroid Florence, a large near-Earth asteroid, will pass safely by Earth on Sept. 1, 2017, at a distance of about 4.4 million miles, (7.0 million kilometers, or about 18 Earth-Moon distances). 08/22/2017 02:45 PM
Brown dwarf weather forecasts improved
Dim objects called brown dwarfs, less massive than the Sun but more massive than Jupiter, have powerful winds and clouds -- specifically, hot patchy clouds made of iron droplets and silicate dust. Scientists recently realized these giant clouds can move and thicken or thin surprisingly rapidly, in less than an Earth day, but did not understand why. 08/22/2017 02:42 PM
Like adults, children show bias in attributing mental states to others
Young children are more likely to attribute mental states to characters that belong to the same group as them relative to characters that belong to an outside group, according to new findings. The study shows that 5- and 6-year-olds were more likely to describe interactions between two characters in terms of what they were thinking and feeling when the characters had the same gender or geographic origin as them. 08/22/2017 02:27 PM
The moving Martian bow shock
Physicists throw new light on the interaction between the planet Mars and supersonic particles in the solar wind. 08/22/2017 01:18 PM
When given the chance to pay less, patients choose cheaper prescription drugs
As prescription drug spending continues to rise in the United States, along with prices for new and well-established drugs, insurers, employers and patients are searching for ways to cut costs. A new study found that a policy called reference pricing is effective at encouraging patients to spend significantly less on prescription drugs by choosing cheaper drugs over name brand options. 08/22/2017 01:07 PM
How cytoplasm 'feels' to a cell's components
In a study that may guide drug design, researchers find organelles encounter varying levels of resistance, depending on their size and speed, as they move through a cell's cytoplasm. 08/22/2017 01:07 PM
Hormonal tug-of-war helps plant roots navigate their journey through the soil
A sophisticated mechanism that allows plant roots to quickly respond to changes in soil conditions has been identified by an international research team. 08/22/2017 01:07 PM
Gravity, 'mechanical loading' are key to cartilage development
Mechanical loading is required for creating cartilage that is then turned to bone; however, little is known about cartilage development in the absence of gravity. Now, bioengineers have determined that microgravity may inhibit cartilage formation. Findings reveal that fracture healing for astronauts in space, as well as patients on bed rest here on Earth, could be compromised in the absence of mechanical loading. 08/22/2017 01:07 PM
miR-122 target sites in liver cancer: study links three genes to patient survival
A new study shows that a molecule that regulates liver-cell metabolism and suppresses liver-cancer development interacts with thousands of genes in liver cells, and that when levels of the molecule go down, such as during liver-cancer development, the activity of certain cancer-promoting genes goes up. The findings could one day help doctors better predict survival in liver cancer patients and help determine whether the molecule -- called microRNA-122 -- should be developed as an anticancer drug. 08/22/2017 12:39 PM
Getting hold of quantum dot biosensors
Harnessing the nano-tractor-beam like abilities of optical tweezers, researchers have developed an all-silicon nanoantenna to trap individual quantum dots suspended in a microfluidic chamber. 08/22/2017 12:38 PM
Speeding up chemical screening to prioritize toxicity testing
Researchers have developed a high-throughput technique that can determine if a chemical has the potential to activate key genes in seconds rather than the typical 24 hours or more. The technique can be used to prioritize chemicals for in-depth testing to determine their toxicity. 08/22/2017 12:38 PM
Microreactor made to study formation of methane hydrate
Researchers are using a novel means of studying how methane and water form methane hydrate that allows them to examine discrete steps in the process faster and more efficiently. 08/22/2017 12:38 PM
ShAPEing the future of magnesium car parts
A new process should make it more feasible for the auto industry to incorporate very lightweight magnesium alloys into structural components. The method has the potential to reduce cost by eliminating the need for rare-earth elements, while simultaneously improving the material's structural properties. 08/22/2017 12:38 PM
No microbes? No problem for caterpillars
Caterpillars have far less bacteria and fungi inhabiting their gut than other animals and the microbes that inside them seem to lack any identifiable role, aside from occasionally causing disease. 08/22/2017 12:38 PM
from ScienceDaily
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