Engineering
press releases.

Engineering11 Nov 2024

Newly developed 100Gbps data transfer system for accelerating Open Science through industry-university collaboration in Japan

Tokyo & Osaka, Japan – Osaka University and NEC Corporation (NEC; TSE: 6701) are moving forward with efforts to realize a data infrastructure supporting Open Science. In 2021, The Joint Research Laboratory for Integrated Infrastructure of High Performance Computing and Data Analysis was established within the D3 Center, Osaka University (Director: Professor Susumu Date*1) by Osaka University and NEC. The result of the Joint Research Laboratory will be showcased at the International Conference for High Performance Computing, Networking, Storage, and Analysis (SC24) scheduled ...

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Engineering8 Nov 2024

Sometimes you're the windshield: Utah State University researcher says vehicles cause significant bee deaths

LOGAN, UTAH, USA -- When a large mammal such as a deer or a moose is struck by a motor vehicle, the damage is usually dramatic. To reduce these unfortunate events, transportation officials have teamed with wildlife researchers to place warning signs, and to construct wildlife underpasses and overpasses, to mitigate mishaps along animal migration paths. In contrast, collisions with much smaller bees often go unnoticed or are perceived by motorists as simply an annoying splat on a windshield. The significance, Utah State University ...

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Engineering7 Nov 2024

Study identifies hip implant materials with the lowest risk of needing revision

Hip implants with a delta ceramic or oxidised zirconium head and highly crosslinked polyethylene liner or cup had the lowest risk of revision during the 15 years after surgery, a new study led by the University of Bristol has found. The research could help hospitals, surgeons and patients to choose what hip implant to use for replacement surgery. The aim of the study was to establish hip implant materials at risk of revision to help orthopaedic surgeons, and patients, and to improve shared decision making ...

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Engineering6 Nov 2024

Lupus Research Alliance announces inaugural recipients of Translational Bridge Award

New York, NY. November 6, 2024. The Lupus Research Alliance (LRA) is excited to announce the first-ever recipients of the Translational Bridge Award (TBA), established this year to accelerate the translation of groundbreaking research into potential treatments and diagnostics for lupus. The award aims to propel high-potential projects from LRA-funded foundational discoveries with strong commercialization potential or an opportunity for clinical evaluation. Five exceptional researchers have been awarded the 2024 Translational Bridge Award to tackle pressing ...

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Engineering6 Nov 2024

New study: Earthquake prediction techniques lend quick insight into strength, reliability of materials

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Materials scientists can now use insight from a very common mineral and well-established earthquake and avalanche statistics to quantify how hostile environmental interactions may impact the degradation and failure of materials used for advanced solar panels, geological carbon sequestration and infrastructure such as buildings, roads and bridges. The new study, led by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in collaboration with Sandia National Laboratories and Bucknell University, shows that the amount ...

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Engineering5 Nov 2024

Structural safety monitoring of buildings with color variations

As buildings age, the demand for effective monitoring of their structural integrity has grown significantly. A breakthrough in nano-optical sensor technology now enables precise, real-time measurement of structural deformation and stability. This innovation promises to reshape the field of structural diagnostics, offering a cost-effective, time-efficient solution that reduces the need for specialized expertise traditionally required in this area. Led by Dr. Jae Sung Yoon, Principal Researcher at the Nano-lithography & Manufacturing Research Center within the Nano-convergence ...

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Engineering30 Oct 2024

Turning silver to gold: A diacetylene derivative-based metallic luster materials

Societies of the past and present have given high regard to precious metals like gold and silver. Both metals remind us of nobility and luxury. However, they are quite expensive, which restricts their applications. Therefore, materials with attractive but artificial gold- and silver-like metallic lusters are popular, finding use in jewelry, reflective materials, inks, and cosmetics. Unfortunately, typical metallic luster materials cause environmental harm, rendering them unsustainable. Thus, scientists are actively searching for metal-free alternatives. In this direction, the research fraternity ...

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Engineering29 Oct 2024

From concert piano to fear memory research: Dr. Raül Andero Galí bridges mouse-human studies

Barcelona, Spain (October 29, 2024) - In a compelling new Genomic Press Interview published in Brain Medicine, Dr. Raül Andero Galí reveals how his early passion for classical piano shaped his unique approach to neuroscience research. As an ICREA Research Professor at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, Dr. Andero Galí leads groundbreaking studies that connect mouse and human fear responses, potentially revolutionizing treatments for PTSD and anxiety disorders. The intersection of stress and memory has captured Dr. Andero Galí's attention throughout his career. "All ...

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Engineering23 Oct 2024

Researchers at NYU Tandon School of Engineering and KAIST develop method to 'hear' defects in promising nanomaterial

An international research team led by NYU Tandon School of Engineering and KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology) has pioneered a new technique to identify and characterize atomic-scale defects in hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), a two-dimensional (2D) material often dubbed "white graphene" for its remarkable properties. This advance could accelerate the development of next-generation electronics and quantum technologies. The team reported that it was able to detect the presence of individual carbon atoms replacing boron atoms in hBN crystals. This discovery was made possible by listening to ...

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Engineering22 Oct 2024

KERI’s innovation in anode materials for solid-state batteries selected as a cover article

The KERI's research on anode materials for solid-state batteries (SSBs), conducted in collaboration with Kumoh National Institute of Technology and Inha University, has been selected as the cover article of a world-leading journal in the energy field. The SSBs have replaced the combustible liquid electrolyte that transfers ions between the anode and cathode with a solid electrolyte, significantly reducing the risk of fire or explosion. However, SSBs, due to their 'solid' nature, require much advanced technology, such as ensuring electro-chemo-mechanical stability during the charging and discharging processes. In particular, since the anode has a ...

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Engineering21 Oct 2024

Being part of a ‘civilization’ only reduces violence if you’re a woman in ancient Andes populations

The extent to which “civilization” heightens or lessens the likelihood of violent conflict throughout human history has remained one of the most enduring questions among anthropologists. But a new collaborative study of archaeological groups from the Andes region of South America suggests that being part of a centrally organized state society is only part of the equation. “Our findings suggest that being in a ‘civilization’ may reduce violence, but only for women, and only slightly then,” ...

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Engineering21 Oct 2024

Argonne materials scientist Mercouri Kanatzidis wins award from American Chemical Society for Chemistry of Materials

Mercouri Kanatzidis, a materials scientist at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory and professor at Northwestern University, will receive the 2025 ACS Award in the Chemistry of Materials from the American Chemical Society, the nation’s leading professional organization of chemists. The award ​“recognizes and encourages creative work in the chemistry of materials,” according to the citation. At Argonne, Kanatzidis’s work has focused on the implications of a ...

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Engineering18 Oct 2024

Drones prove effective way to monitor maize re-growth, researchers report

Maize, or corn, grows tall, with thin stalks that boast ears of the cereal grain used in food production, trade and security globally. However, due to rain, wind and other increasingly extreme weather events, the maize falls down, risking the entire crop. Called lodging, the physical fall results in shorter plants and overlapping leaves — both of which negatively impact the plant’s ability to grow. Conventional lodging prevention and mitigation requires many agricultural technicians significant time to investigate the crop fields, according to a team of researchers based in China. They ...

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Engineering17 Oct 2024

A new benchmark to recognize the hardest problems in materials science

Scientists hope that quantum computing will help them study complex phenomena that have so far proven challenging for current computers – including the properties of new and exotic materials. But despite the hype surrounding each new claim of “quantum supremacy”, there is no easy way to say when quantum computers and quantum algorithms have a clear and practical advantage over classical ones. A large collaboration led by Giuseppe Carleo, a physicist at the Swiss Federal Institute for Technology (EPFL) in Lausane and the member of the National Center for Competence in Research NCCR MARVEL, has now ...

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Engineering16 Oct 2024

New biochar nanocomposite enhances detection of acetaminophen and uric acid in urine

In recent years, the excessive use of acetaminophen (APAP) has become a significant human hazard and social burden. Rapid and automated electrochemical detection has emerged as a crucial method for measuring APAP concentration in human urine. This study explores a novel porous cobalt-derived biomass electrocatalyst material prepared from Elaeagnus angustifolia gum and investigates its electrochemical properties as well as its specific detection capability for APAP. Their work is published in the journal Industrial Chemistry & Materials on 18 July 2024. Acetaminophen (APAP) is a commonly used analgesic and antipyretic ...

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Engineering16 Oct 2024

Applications open for School of Advanced Science on Structural Safety

The “São Paulo School of Advanced Science on Structural Safety and its role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions by the built environment” will be held May 3-16, 2025, in Brazil, at the São Carlos School of Engineering of the University of São Paulo in its São Carlos campus. Reporters are invited to register for the scientific sessions and short courses, which will present state-of-art science and results of new research. This advanced science school will address the main challenges related to Structural Safety ...

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Engineering15 Oct 2024

UCL engineers set new record on how fast data can be sent wirelessly

A new world record in wireless transmission, promising faster and more reliable wireless communications, has been set by researchers from UCL. The team successfully sent data over the air at a speed of 938 Gigabits per second (Gb/s) over a record frequency range of 5-150 Gigahertz (GHz). This speed is up to 9,380 times faster than the best average 5G download speed in the UK, which is currently 100 Megabits per second (Mb/s) or over1. The total bandwidth of 145GHz is more than five times higher than the previous wireless transmission world record. Typically, wireless networks transmit information using radio waves over ...

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Engineering11 Oct 2024

A quick and easy way to produce anode materials for sodium-ion batteries using microwaves

The research team led by Dr. Daeho Kim and Dr. Jong Hwan Park at the Nano Hybrid Technology Research Center of the Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI) has developed a groundbreaking process technology that enables for ultrafast, 30-second preparation of hard carbon anodes for sodium-ion batteries using microwave induction heating. One of the next-generation secondary batteries, the sodium-ion battery uses sodium (Na) in lieu of the current mainstay, lithium (Li). Sodium, the main component of salt, is more than a thousand times more abundant than lithium and is easier to extract and refine. Furthermore, its lower reactivity compared ...

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Engineering10 Oct 2024

Understanding how smiling influences relationship building during real-life conversations

Smiling during conversations creates warmth, making people feel more comfortable and connected. For example, a friendly smile when meeting someone new can ease nervousness. A smile can soften tension in a debate, showing respect among the participants despite disagreement. In fact, extensive studies have been conducted in the past in an attempt to understand smiling interactions in a natural conversation. Despite these studies, however, little is known about the extent to which one’s smile influences or gets affected by the other person’s smile during a conversation. A new study sought to investigate this by quantifying ...

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Engineering9 Oct 2024

NYU Tandon School of Engineering study maps pedestrian crosswalks across entire cities, helping improve road safety and increase walkability

As pedestrian fatalities in the United States reach a 40-year high, a novel approach to measuring crosswalk lengths across entire cities could provide urban planners with crucial data to improve safety interventions. NYU Tandon School of Engineering researchers Marcel Moran and Debra F. Laefer published the first comprehensive, city-wide analysis of crosswalk distances in the Journal of the American Planning Association. Moran is an Urban Science Faculty Fellow at the Center for Urban Science + Progress (CUSP), and Laefer is a Professor of Civil and Urban Engineering and CUSP faculty member. "In general, lots of important data related ...

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Engineering9 Oct 2024

Rice bioengineers awarded $3.4M for project to end polio

HOUSTON – (Oct. 9, 2024) – Rice University bioengineer Kevin McHugh has been awarded $3.4 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for a project to incorporate protection against poliomyelitis (polio) into the combination vaccine that protects against five common and dangerous childhood diseases. The research could help the polio eradication effort and play an instrumental role in improving access to immunization in low-resource settings ⎯ an important part of meeting sustainable development goals and achieving equity in health ...

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Engineering8 Oct 2024

UC Irvine-led team engineers new enzyme to produce synthetic genetic material

Irvine, Calif., Oct. 8, 2024 — A research team led by the University of California, Irvine has engineered an efficient new enzyme that can produce a synthetic genetic material called threose nucleic acid. The ability to synthesize artificial chains of TNA, which is inherently more stable than DNA, advances the discovery of potentially more powerful, precise therapeutic options to treat cancer and autoimmune, metabolic and infectious diseases. A paper recently published in Nature Catalysis describes how the team created an enzyme called 10-92 that achieves ...

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Engineering8 Oct 2024

Holographic 3D printing has the potential to revolutionize multiple industries, say Concordia researchers

Researchers at Concordia have developed a novel method of 3D printing that uses acoustic holograms. And they say it’s quicker than existing methods and capable of making more complex objects. The process, called holographic direct sound printing (HDSP), is described in a recent article in the journal Nature Communications. It builds on a method introduced in 2022 that described how sonochemical reactions in microscopic cavitations regions — tiny bubbles — create extremely high temperatures and pressure for trillionths of a second to harden resin into complex ...

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Engineering7 Oct 2024

Advancing CRISPR: Lehigh University engineering researchers to develop predictive models for gene editing

CRISPR is a revolutionary tool that allows scientists to precisely modify the genome and gene expression of cells in any organism. It’s a reagent—a substance that facilitates a reaction—that combines an enzyme with a programmable RNA capable of locating specific genetic sequences. Once guided to the correct spot, the enzyme acts like a pair of scissors, cutting, replacing, or deleting sequences of DNA. Researchers are now using the technology to, among many things, treat genetic diseases, develop medical therapeutics, and design diagnostic tools. “CRISPR is very powerful, but it comes with side effects,” says Lehigh University ...

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Engineering7 Oct 2024

Material informatics for the development of high-performance solid electrolytes in rechargeable batteries

The surge in the adoption of renewable energy, coupled with the rapid growth of the electric vehicle market in recent years has significantly increased the demand for high-performance, all-solid-state batteries. Compared to conventional liquid electrolyte-based batteries, solid-state batteries offer higher energy density, improved safety, longer lifespan, and reliable operation over a wide temperature range. However, there are still challenges to their widespread applications, including low ionic conductivity, high interfacial resistance, and the presence of particle-particle interfaces in the electrolyte, which leads to increased resistance and lower energy density. Notably, ...

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