Computers

Researchers at UC San Francisco have successfully developed a "speech neuroprosthesis" that has enabled a man with severe paralysis to communicate in sentences, translating signals from his brain to the vocal tract directly into words that appear as text on a screen. The achievement, which was developed in collaboration with the first participant of a clinical research trial, … [Read more...] about ‘Neuroprosthesis’ restores words to man with paralysis: Technology could lead to more natural communication for people who have suffered speech loss

An associate professor of marketing at The University of Texas at Arlington says digital avatars can replace a sales force and customer service employees at a fraction of the cost. In this context, avatars are typically computer-generated representations of people. UTA Associate Professor Fred Miao says they can fill the void in interactive assistance that a majority of … [Read more...] about Business use of avatars: Avatars save costs, boost sales

Just as helicopter traffic reporters use their "bird's eye view" to route drivers around roadblocks safely, radiation oncologists treating a variety of cancers can use new guidelines developed by a West Virginia University researcher to reduce mistakes in data transfer and more safely treat their patients. Ramon Alfredo Siochi -- the director of medical physics at WVU -- led a … [Read more...] about Reducing data-transfer error in radiation therapy

A new model tracking the vertical movement of algae-covered microplastic particles offers hope in the fight against plastic waste in our oceans. Research led by Newcastle University's Dr Hannah Kreczak is the first to identify the processes that underpin the trajectories of microplastics below the ocean surface. Publishing their findings in the journal Limnology and … [Read more...] about Mathematical model predicts the movement of microplastics in the ocean

Artificial microswimmers have received much attention in recent years. By mimicking microbes which convert their surrounding energy into swimming motions, these particles could soon be exploited for many important applications. Yet before this can happen, researchers must develop methods to better control the trajectories of individual microswimmers in complex environments. In … [Read more...] about Simulating microswimmers in nematic fluids

The absorption of energy from laser light by free electrons in a liquid has been demonstrated for the first time. Until now, this process was observed only in the gas phase. The findings, led by Graz University of Technology, open new doors for ultra-fast electron microscopy. The investigation and development of materials crucially depends on the ability to observe smallest … [Read more...] about Electrons in quantum liquid gain energy from laser pulses

Scientists at Tokyo Institute of Technology have developed a computational method based on large-scale molecular dynamics simulations to predict the cell-membrane permeability of cyclic peptides using a supercomputer. Their protocol has exhibited promising accuracy and may become a useful tool for the design and discovery of cyclic peptide drugs, which could help us reach new … [Read more...] about Supercomputer predicts cell-membrane permeability of cyclic peptides

Feeling extra sweaty from a summer heat wave? Don't worry -- not all your perspiration has to go to waste. In a paper publishing July 13 in the journal Joule, researchers have developed a new device that harvests energy from the sweat on -- of all places -- your fingertips. To date, the device is the most efficient on-body energy harvester ever invented, producing 300 … [Read more...] about This device harvests power from your sweaty fingertips while you sleep

A KAIST research team and collaborators revealed a newly developed hydrogel-based flexible brain-machine interface. To study the structure of the brain or to identify and treat neurological diseases, it is crucial to develop an interface that can stimulate the brain and detect its signals in real time. However, existing neural interfaces are mechanically and chemically … [Read more...] about ‘Hydrogel-based flexible brain-machine interface’: The interface is easy to insert into the body when dry, but behaves ‘stealthily’ inside the brain when wet

Scientists have discovered a novel way to classify magnetized plasmas that could possibly lead to advances in harvesting on Earth the fusion energy that powers the sun and stars. The discovery by theorists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) found that a magnetized plasma has 10 unique phases and the transitions between them might … [Read more...] about Discovery of 10 faces of plasma leads to new insights in fusion and plasma science