pressnews.MEDICINE · SCIENCE · EVIDENCE
RSSSearchMy library
The archive · since 2010
THE ORIGINAL COLLECTION · SINCE 2010

Engineering
press releases.

Research announcements from universities, hospitals and scientific institutions. Explore the stories, people and discoveries behind the headlines.

Original publication datesPage 22
FIND A STORY

Find a past release.

Dates and source material belong to the original release.

Read our research explainers

Browse the collection · original publication order

Engineering

Finding the connective tissue of soft materials

The human body uses adhesion to hold itself together. For example, a tendon attaches muscle to bone, while connective tissue attaches muscle to skin. Hydrogel-based soft materials are based on these biomimetic mechanical behaviors, which makes them a revolutionary design of biomedical implants, human-machine interfaces, and bio-inspired soft robots. However, there are limitations to overcome before they are able to fully replace commonly used hard materials. Qihan Liu, assistant professor of mechanical and materials ...

Read the release
Engineering

More than 18,000 excess TB cases in the U.S. attributable to structural racism

Embargoed for release until 5:00 p.m. ET on Monday 1 April 2024 Annals of Internal Medicine Tip Sheet @Annalsofim Below please find summaries of new articles that will be published in the next issue of Annals of Internal Medicine. The summaries are not intended to substitute for the full articles as a source of information. This information is under strict embargo and by taking it into possession, media representatives are committing to the terms of the embargo not only ...

Read the release
UIC engineers ‘symphonize’ cleaner ammonia production
Engineering

UIC engineers ‘symphonize’ cleaner ammonia production

Among the many chemicals we use every day, ammonia is one of the worst for the atmosphere. The nitrogen-based chemical used in fertilizer, dyes, explosives and many other products ranks second only to cement in terms of carbon emissions, due to the high temperatures and energy needed to manufacture it. But by improving on a well-known electrochemical reaction and orchestrating a “symphony” of lithium, nitrogen and hydrogen atoms, University of Illinois Chicago engineers led by Meenesh Singh have developed a new ammonia production processthat meets several green targets. The process, called ...

Read the release
New topological metamaterial amplifies sound waves exponentially
Engineering

New topological metamaterial amplifies sound waves exponentially

Researchers at AMOLF, in collaboration with partners from Germany, Switzerland, and Austria, have realized a new type of metamaterial through which sound waves flow in an unprecedented fashion. It provides a novel form of amplification of mechanical vibrations, which has the potential to improve sensor technology and information processing devices. This metamaterial is the first instance of a so-called ‘bosonic Kitaev chain’, which gets its special properties from its nature as a topological material. It was realized by making nanomechanical resonators interact with laser light through radiation pressure forces. The discovery, which is published on March ...

Read the release
Structural basis for the regulatory mechanism of mammalian mitochondrial respiratory chain megacomplex-I2III2IV2
Engineering

Structural basis for the regulatory mechanism of mammalian mitochondrial respiratory chain megacomplex-I2III2IV2

Mammalian mitochondrial electron transport chain complexes are the most important and complicated protein machinery in mitochondria. Although this system has been studied for more than a century, its composition and molecular mechanism are still largely unknown. Here, Yang’s group report the high-resolution cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structures of porcine respiratory chain megacomplex-I2III2IV2 (MCI2III2IV2) in five different conformations, including State 1, State 2, Mid 1, Mid 2, and Mid 3. High-resolution cryo-EM imaging, combined with super-resolution gated stimulated emission depletion microscopy (gSTED), strongly supports ...

Read the release
B4C@TiB2 core–shell structural units show outstanding toughening effect for Al2O3 ceramics
Engineering

B4C@TiB2 core–shell structural units show outstanding toughening effect for Al2O3 ceramics

Toughening has always been an important research direction of structure ceramics. The addition of secondary phases to the ceramic matrix to prepare composite ceramics is an effective toughening pathway in the field of structure ceramics. Both phase-type and microstructure of the secondary phases play a decisive role in the toughening effect of the ceramic matrix. Being different from the conventional independent phase as the secondary phase, B4C@TiB2 core–shell structural unit has been purposely designed as an innovative kind of secondary phase to toughen the Al2O3 ceramic matrix, providing a new concept for the toughening studies of structural ceramics. A ...

Read the release
3D images reveal link between crack complexity and material toughness
Engineering

3D images reveal link between crack complexity and material toughness

The last time you dropped a favorite mug or sat on your glasses, you may have been too preoccupied to take much notice of the intricate pattern of cracks that appeared in the broken object. But capturing the formation of such patterns is the specialty of John Kolinski and his team at the Laboratory of Engineering Mechanics of Soft Interfaces (EMSI) in EPFL’s School of Engineering. They aim to understand how cracks propagate in brittle solids, which is essential for developing and testing safe and cost-effective composite materials for use in construction, sports, and aerospace engineering. But traditional mechanics approaches to analyzing crack formation assume ...

Read the release
Engineering

Limitations and strategies towards high-performance red phosphorus materials for Li/Na-Ion batteries

They published their work on Mar. 15th in Energy Material Advances. "The development of cost-effective and high-performance RP anode materials for LIBs/SIBs is imperative," said paper author Hailei Zhao, professor with the Beijing Key Lab of New Energy Materials and Technology, School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, "Despite RP shows a great potential, the inherent poor electrical conductivity of RP (~10-14 S cm-1) and significant volume changes during charge/discharge processes (> 300%) compromise its cycling stability." Zhao explained that the poor electrical conductivity ...

Read the release
New method for analyzing nanoporous materials
Engineering

New method for analyzing nanoporous materials

In addition to their main components, the properties of crystalline and nanoporous materials often depend crucially on guest atoms or ions that are embedded in the tiny pores of their lattice structure. This applies to high-tech materials used in sensor or separation technology as well as to natural materials. The bluish gemstone aquamarine, for example, would be colourless without such guest components. Determining the type and position of guest components is difficult, as many materials react sensitively to the radiation emissions ...

Read the release
Novel design enhance thermal insulation and impact resistance in composite glass
Engineering

Novel design enhance thermal insulation and impact resistance in composite glass

A research team led by Prof. NI Yong and Prof. HE Linghui from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has developed a new composite glass combining the nacre-inspired structure and shear stiffening gel (SSG) material, maintaining transparency while exhibiting excellent thermal insulation and impact resistance. Their work was published in Advanced Materials. Bulk glass serves as an indispensable structural material in people’s daily lives. However, glass has poor thermal ...

Read the release
Engineering

Discover BMB 2024 press materials available now

Embargoed press materials are now available for Discover BMB, the annual meeting of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Top scientists and educators in the field will gather at the meeting, March 23–26 in San Antonio. Reporters are invited to attend an exciting lineup of in-person scientific sessions in San Antonio or access press materials electronically. Register now or find more information in the #DiscoverBMB newsroom. Please note that only a limited number of complementary on-site press passes will be issued, so advance registration is recommended. Explore the schedule at a ...

Read the release
Scientists reveal chemical structural analysis in a whiff of smell
Engineering

Scientists reveal chemical structural analysis in a whiff of smell

Scents, such as coffee, flowers, or freshly-baked pumpkin pie, are created by odor molecules released by various substances and detected by our noses. In essence, we are smelling molecules, the basic unit of a substance that retains its physical and chemical properties. A research team led by Dr. ZHOU Wen from the Institute of Psychology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has discovered that this process of "smelling" involves an analysis of submolecular structural features. The study was published online in Nature Human Behaviour on March 18. In this study, the ...

Read the release
New composite decking could reduce global warming effects of building materials
Engineering

New composite decking could reduce global warming effects of building materials

NEW ORLEANS, March 18, 2024 — Buildings and production of the materials used in their construction emit a lot of carbon dioxide (CO2), a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming and climate change. But storing CO2 in building materials could help make them more environmentally friendly. Scientists report that they have designed a composite decking material that stores more CO2 than is required to manufacture it, providing a “carbon-negative” option that meets building codes and is less expensive than standard composite decking. The researchers will present their results today at the spring meeting of the American Chemical Society ...

Read the release
Revolutionary method developed for mass-producing polymer solid electrolytes
Engineering

Revolutionary method developed for mass-producing polymer solid electrolytes

A research team, led by Professor Seok Ju Kang in the School of Energy and Chemical Engineering at UNIST, has unveiled a groundbreaking technique for mass-producing polymer solid electrolytes, crucial components in batteries. Departing from the traditional melt casting method, the team introduced a horizontal centrifugal casting method to overcome existing limitations. This innovative approach has redefined the production process for high-quality polymer solid electrolytes, revolutionizing the industry. Drawing inspiration from the horizontal centrifugal casting technique used in producing iron pipes, the research team successfully achieved a uniform polymer ...

Read the release
Engineering

Printed polymer allows researchers to explore chirality and spin interactions at room temperature

A printable organic polymer that assembles into chiral structures when printed has enabled researchers to reliably measure the amount of charge produced in spin-to-charge conversion within a spintronic material at room temperature. The polymer’s tunable qualities and versatility make it desirable not only for less expensive, environmentally friendly, printable electronic applications, but also for use in understanding chirality and spin interactions more generally. Spintronic devices are electronic devices that harness the spin of an electron, ...

Read the release
Doping engineering in halide perovskite, an efficient synthesis method of white LEDs
Engineering

Doping engineering in halide perovskite, an efficient synthesis method of white LEDs

In 1879, Edison invented the incandescent lamp, which brought light to the night. In 1969, the first red light emitting diodes (LEDs) lamp came out. However, as the key to making white light bulbs, high-energy blue light has not been successfully commercialized. Until 1998, the Japan’s Nakamura Shoji made white LEDs, which marked the official entry of LEDs into the lighting era. LEDs have the advantages of high efficiency, environmental protection and energy saving. Metal halide perovskites (MHPs) have become a powerful candidate for new LEDs ...

Read the release
A new world of 2D material is opening up
Engineering

A new world of 2D material is opening up

Materials that are incredibly thin, only a few atoms thick, exhibit unique properties that make them appealing for energy storage, catalysis and water purification. Researchers at Linköping University, Sweden, have now developed a method that enables the synthesis of hundreds of new 2D materials. Their study has been published in the journal Science. Since the discovery of graphene, the field of research in extremely thin materials, so-called 2D materials, has increased exponentially. The reason is that 2D materials have a large surface area in relation to their volume or weight. This ...

Read the release
2023 Nano Research Young Innovators (NR45) Awards in Bio-inspired Nanomaterials
Engineering

2023 Nano Research Young Innovators (NR45) Awards in Bio-inspired Nanomaterials

Recently, Nano Research announced awardees of the 2023 Nano Research Young Innovators (NR45) Awards in Bio-inspired Nanomaterials. Thirty-three outstanding young investigators under the age of 45 were selected for their extraordinary contributions in developing bio-inspired nanomaterials with applications spanning clean energy, human healthcare, monitoring, and disease treatments. They were selected through a competitive process by an award committee from Nano Research’s editorial board. Congratulations to all the 33 awardees in 2023! The NR45 Awards ...

Read the release
Advancing tissue engineering with shape memory hydrogels
Engineering

Advancing tissue engineering with shape memory hydrogels

One of the primary goals in the field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine is the development of artificial scaffolds that can serve as substitutes for damaged tissue. These materials must ideally resemble natural tissue and must have the ability to support cell adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation. When considering scaffold materials, researchers account for the scaffold’s properties, such as its surface roughness, its water content (hydration state), and its flexibility or stiffness (elastic modulus), since these properties are known to affect cell ...

Read the release
Engineering

New analysis: most care homes closed by industry regulator are run for-profit

A new analysis led by researchers at the University of Oxford and funded by the Nuffield Foundation has found that virtually all care homes forced to close in England by the Care Quality Commission are run on a for-profit basis. The results, published today in The Lancet Healthy Longevity, raise questions about the role of the private sector in exacerbating the care sector’s ongoing crisis. The study assessed the number of care homes which had been forced to close by the independent regulator of health and social care in England, the Care Quality Commission ...

Read the release
Engineering

Gun manufacturers’ ads appeal to women as ‘serious students’ of firearms to boost sales

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Gun manufacturers are appealing to women as “serious students” of firearms in their advertising – a shift in strategy over the last two decades that may be contributing to increased gun sales, a new study shows. From 2007 through 2022, women’s gun ownership rose from 16% to 22%, while the rate for men stayed roughly steady at 43%. And more than half of new gun owners in the United States between 2019 and 2021 were women. “Those trends in gun ownership ...

Read the release
Valorization of depolymerized lignin using microorganisms
Engineering

Valorization of depolymerized lignin using microorganisms

Lignin is an abundant natural polymer which is eliminated as a byproduct in the pulp and paper industry. A recent review article explored different microbial processes available for sustainable lignin valorization, yielding not only environmental, but also economic benefits. Researchers highlighted the current advancements as well as challenges faced while using naturally occurring and engineered microbes to transform depolymerized lignin into valuable high-value products. The increasing focus on transitioning to a low-carbon ...

Read the release
Expertly engineered saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast strain in the optimized production of carotenoids
Engineering

Expertly engineered saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast strain in the optimized production of carotenoids

More than 90% of the commercially available carotenoids are synthetically produced using chemicals. To meet the increasing demand for cost-effective natural compounds in carotenoid synthesis, researchers at Xiamen University, China, have developed an engineered S. cerevisiae yeast strain capable of selectively overproducing carotenoids. They redesigned the genomic sequence and critical pathways to optimize carotenoid production. This novel and successful research approach can be extended to other model ...

Read the release
NSF CAREER Grant awarded to Dr. Jordon Gilmore Associate Professor of Bioengineering Clemson University
Engineering

NSF CAREER Grant awarded to Dr. Jordon Gilmore Associate Professor of Bioengineering Clemson University

Congratulations to Dr. Jordon Gilmore for receiving the prestigious NSF CAREER Award! The project is titled: "A Multi-phase Biosensing Approach towards Point-of-Care Evaluation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Virulence in Infected Chronic Wounds". The project is in perfect alignment with the ADAPT in SC NSF Award. Dr. Gilmore is a co-leader of the the Explainable AI-Enabled Biomedical Devices for Diagnostics and Planning Applications, and the leader of the Broadening Participation and Diversity project areas of ADAPT in SC. In addition, he serves as a member of the ...

Read the release
Engineering

Higher body mass index linked to complications after autologous breast reconstruction

Waltham — February 21, 2024 — For women undergoing autologous breast reconstruction – reconstruction using the patient's own tissues, rather than implants – the risks of overall and specific complications are increased at higher body mass index (BMI) levels, reports the March issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery®, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer. "Our study clarifies the impact of high BMI as a risk factor for adverse outcomes of autologous breast reconstruction," comments senior author Merisa Piper, MD, of ...

Read the release
From the original Press-News collection. Issuers of news releases are responsible for the accuracy of their content.