A major challenge in realizing quantum computers is the development of 'quantum error correction' technology. This technology offers a solution for addressing errors that occur in the qubit, the basic unit of quantum computation, and prevents them from being amplified during the computation. Without quantum error correction, it would be impossible for quantum computers to outperform classical counterparts, and thus efforts to advance this technology are ongoing worldwide. Dr. Seung-Woo Lee's research team at the Korea ...

The integration of photonics into quantum computing has profound implications across various domains. As the demand for faster and more secure computational capabilities intensifies, photonic quantum computing emerges as a pivotal force, with the photonics market projected to reach USD 837.8 billion by 2025.   Harnessing the unique properties of light, photonic quantum computing revolutionizes data processing by encoding information in photons, offering unprecedented speed and efficiency for solving complex problems that traditional methods struggle to address. Photonic quantum computers can ...

This study is led by Dr. Shiwei Duan (Department of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine, Hangzhou City University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China). His team analyzed literature on miRNA, summarizing the close relationship between these small molecules and cancer. miRNA is a type of non-coding RNA that does not encode proteins, but can target more than 60% of human protein-coding genes. They play crucial roles in cell growth, differentiation, development, and apoptosis, and their dysfunction is closely linked to numerous diseases. Almost all known cancer cells have the ability to control gene expression using miRNAs, making the impact of miRNAs particularly significant ...

Infrared imaging technology is crucial for advancing our understanding of the world, from exploring biological specimens to inspecting complex materials and detecting hidden patterns in physical systems. Infrared light can penetrate fog and smoke, making it invaluable for search and rescue, firefighting, and sensitive operations. Additionally, infrared imaging can enable visualising the heat emitted by objects, making it a powerful tool for night vision and security applications. While infrared cameras are valuable tools for enhanced ...

While people are growing more accustomed to AI-driven personal assistants, customer service chatbots and even financial advisors, when it comes to healthcare, most still want it with a human touch. Given that receiving healthcare is a deeply personal experience, it’s understandable that patients prefer it to come from, well, a person. But with AI’s vast potential to increase the quality, efficacy and efficiency of medicine, a push toward greater acceptance of artificial intelligence-driven medicine could unlock benefits ...

The Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) and the Danish software company Partisia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to strengthen their research ties. The primary objective of this collaboration is to advance research in Multi-Party Computation (MPC), focusing on developing innovative Privacy-Enhancing Technology solutions. By leveraging their combined knowledge and expertise, OIST and Partisia aim to deliver a global perspective on secure computation, quantum-safe cryptography, and cyber security. OIST will contribute to the collaboration with its in-house expertise and ...

A recent study using automatic wildlife cameras across three continents has shed light on how the moon's phases affect the behaviour of tropical forest mammals. Half of the species studied altered their activity levels or timing, or both, in response to the full moon. The findings suggest that even in some of the darkest places on earth - the floors of tropical forests - the moon's phases can influence animal behaviour. This impact could be even more pronounced in degraded and fragmented forests. “Imagine playing hide-and-seek in a dark room, and then somebody lights ...

Indoor vertical gardens are gaining popularity among homeowners and restaurants, allowing them to grow microgreens year-round, but new research has identified a major drawback: their demands on energy. A study by researchers from the Marche Polytechnic University and University of South Australia shows that while domestic vertical garden appliances can provide fresh, local produce under controlled conditions and with zero food miles, they do chew up energy. Artificial lighting – essential for plant growth – accounted for more than 50% of the total energy costs in growing a crop of red lettuce, which is five times higher than professional ...

Around 40% of postmenopausal hormone positive breast cancer cases may be linked to excess body fat, suggests Spanish research published online in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health. This proportion is significantly higher than 1 in 10 such cases currently attributed to excess weight, using the widely used measure of body mass index (BMI), and indicates that the real impact of obesity on breast cancer risk has likely been underestimated, say the researchers.  BMI isn’t necessarily a very accurate measure of body fat, particularly in older women, because it doesn’t account for age, sex, or ethnicity, they point out. They therefore ...

There is no evidence for the commonly held belief that nut allergens can be spread through aircraft ventilation systems, say allergy and aviation medicine specialists in an evidence review published in the Archives of Disease in Childhood. Allergen residues on surfaces, such as tray tables, and seat-back video screens, pose the main risk—a risk that is likely heightened by the fast turnaround times deployed by many low-cost carriers, they suggest. And allergic reactions to foods are around 10 to 100 times less common during flights than they are ‘on the ground,’ they point out, although this could be due to passengers with food allergies ...

Published in Molecular Psychiatry, this is the first study to suggest that the use of high potency cannabis leaves a distinct mark on DNA, providing valuable insights into the biological impact of cannabis use. High potency cannabis is defined as having Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content of 10 per cent or more.  The research also showed the effect of cannabis use on DNA is different in people experiencing their first episode of psychosis compared to users who have never experienced psychosis, ...

Teleoperated robots for gathering moon dust are a step closer, according to new research by scientists at the University of Bristol. The team were able to complete a sample collection task by controlling a virtual simulation, which then sent commands to a physical robot to mirror the simulation’s actions. They were able to do so while only monitoring the simulation - without needing physical camera streams - meaning this tool could be particularly useful for delayed teleoperation on the Moon. Alongside a boom in lunar lander missions ...

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 ...

Older adults in the UK who are socially isolated are more likely to have an insufficient intake of key micronutrients such as vitamin C and vitamin B6, increasing their risk of health problems, according to a new study led by UCL (University College London) researchers. The study, published in the journal Age and Ageing, looked at data from 3,713 people in the UK aged 50 and over who filled in a detailed questionnaire about what they ate and drank on two separate days.   The researchers found that people who were more socially isolated were more likely to have a lower than recommended intake of five micronutrients ...

Climate change has caused an increase in the semi-arid climate region in Brazil. Data from the National Center for Monitoring and Warning of Natural Disasters (CEMADEN) and the National Institute of Space Research (INPE) in the South American country indicate an expansion of 7,500 square kilometers per year since 1990, which is equivalent to five times the area of the city of São Paulo. A similar phenomenon has been observed in some regions of Europe and North Africa. With this in mind, and with the desire to find solutions to mitigate climate change, a group ...

Copenhagen, Denmark: New data shows that the number of children suffering a seizure after swallowing medications or illegal substances has doubled between 2009 and 2023 in the US. The findings were presented today (Wednesday) at the European Emergency Medicine Congress.   The most common substances involved in these poisonings include over-the-counter antihistamines, prescription antidepressants and painkillers, and illegal synthetic cannabinoids.   Dr Conner McDonald from the University of Virginia School of Medicine told the Congress: “Seizure is one of the most severe symptoms a poisoned ...

Copenhagen, Denmark: Increases in levels of particulate matter in the air, even within World Health Organization guidelines, correspond with an increase in the number of patients going to the hospital emergency department, according to research presented at the European Emergency Medicine Congress today (Wednesday).   The study found links particularly between air pollution and cases of trauma, breathing difficulties and skin conditions.   The research was presented by Dr Andrea Rossetto an emergency medicine resident at University of Florence and Careggi University Hospital, Florence, Italy, and a PhD Student at Queen Mary University of London, UK.   Dr ...

In a teleconference with reporters on Tuesday, representatives from NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the international Solar Cycle Prediction Panel announced that the Sun has reached its solar maximum period, which could continue for the next year. The solar cycle is a natural cycle the Sun goes through as it transitions between low and high magnetic activity. Roughly every 11 years, at the height of the solar cycle, the Sun’s magnetic poles flip — on Earth, that’d be like the ...

Scientists at ChristianaCare Gene Editing Institute Use CRISPR Tools to Safely Disable Gene Mutation Linked to Treatment-Resistant Melanoma   Study finds CRISPR restores the ability for cancer treatments to attack melanoma cancer cells with precision-guided gene edit that ignores healthy cells   Wilmington, DE, OCTOBER 15, 2024  -- In a potential advance for melanoma patients, researchers at ChristianaCare’s Gene Editing Institute have used CRISPR gene editing ...

A major international study has found gout is a chronic illness where genetics is a major cause, rather than lifestyle choices of the sufferer.   Led by University of Otago researchers, the genome-wide association study, published in Nature Genetics, analysed the genetic information of 2.6 million people.   Researchers analysed amalgamated DNA data sets from around the world. About three quarters of the data was from customers of 23andMe, Inc, a direct-to-consumer genetics and preventative health company, who consented to participate in research.   They found inherited genetics is an important part ...

A new analysis from University of Toronto Engineering researchers leverages machine learning to help answer a thorny question: where should new protected bike lanes be placed to provide maximum benefit?  “Right now, some people have really good access to protected biking infrastructure: they can bike to work, to the grocery store or to entertainment venues,” says Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher, a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Civil & Mineral Engineering and lead author of a new paper published in the Journal of Transport Geography.  “More ...

A new study from the University of Toronto's Department of Civil & Mineral Engineering suggests that large-scale adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) could lead to significant population-level health benefits.  The research team used computer simulations to show that aggressive electrification of the U.S. vehicle fleet, coupled with an ambitious rollout of renewable electricity generation, could result in health benefits worth between US$84 billion and 188 billion by 2050.  Even scenarios with less aggressive grid decarbonization mostly predicted health benefits running into the tens of billions of dollars.  “When ...

TAMPA, Fla. (Oct. 15, 2024) -- The Florida Inventors Hall of Fame is inviting nominations for the 2025 class of inductees. This award recognizes distinguished inventors with a connection to Florida, whose achievements have advanced quality of life for the state and the nation. “Inductees to the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame represent some of our nation’s greatest inventors from across academia, industry and government,” said Paul Sanberg, chair of the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame Advisory Board and president of the National Academy of Inventors. “Their achievements underscore the critical role that innovation plays in driving ...

  In recent U.S. elections, results often took days to finalize, fueling voter distrust in the electoral process and ballot outcomes. Now, research from the Yankelovich Center for Social Science Research at UC San Diego shows that a simple, proactive message from election officials – ahead of Election Night – can effectively reduce this distrust. The study, published in PNAS Nexus, reveals that when voters are informed in advance that counting ballots accurately takes time and there are security measures in place, their trust in the process remains steady, even when results are delayed. “Election officials ...

HOUSTON – (Oct. 15, 2024) – An interdisciplinary team of Rice University engineers and collaborators led by Jamie Padgett has won $1.5 million from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to improve the safety and resiliency of coastal communities facing compounded risk from hazardous weather events. Padgett, together with Ben Hu and Avantika Gori at Rice, David Retchless at Texas A&M University at Galveston and community partners, will leverage responsible artificial intelligence (AI), hazard and resilience models ...