Science

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Groundbreaking microscopy unlocks secrets of plant virus assembly

New research into how a plant virus assembles could lay the groundwork for future use to carry drugs into the human body.

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The structure of an empty Cowpea Mosaic Virus (CPMV) produced using cryo electron microscopy.

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Nanostructured Surfaces Increase Efficiency of Solar Thermal Systems

Iranian researchers from Isfahan University of Technology succeeded in the laboratorial production of light sorption surfaces that have application in solar thermal systems.

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Spin current on topological insulator detected electrically at room temperature

Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology have for the first time reported the electrical detection of spin current on topological insulator surfaces at room temperature by employing a ferromagnetic detector.

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This image shows the schematics of the spin current on a topological insulator surface, with the spin direction (S) perpendicular to the current direction (kx). The zoom in schematic shows the electronic band structure on the surface of the topological insulator. The spin polarization on topological insulator surface is electrically probed by a ferromagnetic tunnel contact (FM).

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Portable device can quickly determine the extent of an eye injury

An engineer and an ophthalmologist are working together to develop a portable sensor that can quickly and inexpensively determine whether an eye injury is mild or severe. The device, called OcuCheck, works by measuring levels of vitamin C in the fluids that coat or leak from the eye. The sensor could speed efforts to determine the extent of eye injuries at accident sites, in rural areas lacking ophthalmology specialists or on the battlefield, the researchers said.

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The new sensor can detect differences in vitamin C concentration in fluids that leak from the eye. Higher concentrations indicate a more severe injury, the researchers report.

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Stretchy hydrogel 'Band-Aid' senses, lights up, delivers medicine: Water-based 'Band-Aid' senses temperature, lights up, and delivers medicine to the skin

MIT engineers have designed what may be the Band-Aid of the future: a sticky, stretchy, gel-like material that can incorporate temperature sensors, LED lights, and other electronics, as well as tiny, drug-delivering reservoirs and channels. The "smart wound dressing" releases medicine in response to changes in skin temperature and can be designed to light up if, say, medicine is running low.

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A new stretchy hydrogel can be embedded with various electronics. Here, a sheet of hydrogel is bonded to a matrix of polymer islands (red) that can encapsulate electronic components such as semiconductor chips, LED lights, and temperature sensors.

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New approaches for hybrid solar cells: Nanostructured germanium for portable photovoltaics and battery electrodes

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Filled with suitable organic polymers the highly porous germanium nanofilm becomes a hybrid solar cell. Because the germanium nanostructure forms an inverse opal-structure, the material shimmers like opal.

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Seeing viruses in a new light: New method for observing viruses may shed light on how to stop them

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Optical fiber with a nano-scale channel

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Cost-Effective Method Measures Industrial Water, Wastewater Pollutants Quickly, Accurately

Cost-Effective Method Measures Industrial Water, Wastewater Pollutants Quickly, Accurately

The application of the sensor decreases the cost to detect toxic materials, including arsenic in test samples. In addition, the sensor analyzes the characteristics of chemicals faster than the conventional methods.

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Guided ultrasound plus nanoparticle chemotherapy cures tumors in mice

Thermal ablation with magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound surgery (MRgFUS) is a noninvasive technique for treating fibroids and cancer. New research from UC Davis shows that combining the technique with chemotherapy can allow complete destruction of tumors in mice.

MRgFUS combines an ultrasound beam that heats and destroys tissue with a magnetic resonance imaging to guide the beam and monitor the effects of treatment. The effectiveness of the treatment can be limited by the need to spare normal tissue or critical structures on the tumor margins, as well as the need to eliminate micrometastases.

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Tiny Amounts of Lysozyme Measurable by Using Nanobiosensors

Iranian researchers designed a biosensor with low detection limit that can accurately measure a type of protein in real samples.

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