A new publication from Opto-Electronic Science; DOI  10.29026/oes.2023.230026  overviews liquid crystal spatial light modulators devices and applications.   Technology to control and harness light has existed for centuries, often as static solutions that must be custom-designed. It is only in the past couple of decades that the digital era of micro-electronics and computing has seen fast rewritable technology meant for displays find its way into the mainstream of optics. In this review, the authors showcase the recent advances in replacing the traditional static optical toolkit with a modern digital toolkit for “light on demand”. ...

A new publication from Opto-Electronic Advances, 10.29026/oea.2023.230094  discusses Ferroelectric modulation of the Fermi level of graphene oxide to enhance SERS response.   Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a powerful fingerprint analysis and detection technique that plays an important role in the fields of food safety, environmental protection, bio-imaging and hazardous substance identification. Electromagnetic enhancement (EM) and chemical enhancement (CM) are the two recognized mechanisms of action for amplifying Raman signals. EM originates from the localized surface plasmonic resonance effect of noble metal nanostructures ...

  A new publication from Opto-Electronic Advances, 10.29026/oea.2023.230076  discusses knot-inspired optical sensors for slip detection and friction measurement in dexterous robotic manipulation.   Hands possess an awe-inspiring ability to perceive friction forces with remarkable accuracy, all thanks to the mechanical receptors nestled within skin. This natural gift allows objects to be handled deftly and tools to be wielded effortlessly, infusing daily life with a delightful flexibility. But what if this tactile prowess could be unlocked in robots?   Imagine a world where robots possess the uncanny ability to detect and understand friction and slip, just ...

Lithium-ion batteries powered the device on which these words appear. From phones and laptops to electric vehicles, lithium-ion batteries are critical to the technology of the modern world — but they can also explode. Comprising negatively and positively charged electrodes and an electrolyte to transport ions across the divide, lithium-ion batteries are only as good as the limitations of their components. Liquid electrolytes are potentially volatile at high temperatures, and their efficiency can be limited by nonuniformity and instabilities in the other components.   Researchers are working toward developing safer, ...

November 3, 2023 -- The American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR), a national non-profit whose mission is to support and advance healthy aging through biomedical research, will host its annual Scientific Awards of Distinction lectures and ceremony on Friday, November 10 from 6:30pm-9:00pm ET in conjunction with the Annual Scientific Meeting of the Gerontological Society of America (GSA) held in Tampa, Florida. In addition to an awards presentation and reception, the honorees will present lectures highlighting their research. Rafael de Cabo, PhD, will receive the 2023 Irving S. Wright ...

MELVILLE, N.Y., November 3, 2023 – An examination of the impact of image size on measurements from magnetic force microscopy has won the Advances in Magnetism Award, sponsored by AIP Advances, published by AIP Publishing. The paper, “Finite image size effects on the characterization of magnetic domain patterns via magnetic force microscopy,” was selected as the winner from nearly 200 papers submitted as part of the 2022 Magnetism and Magnetic Materials conference. Michael Vaka, now a data engineer at Zontal, was awarded a cash prize and a travel stipend to next year’s ...

The annual meeting for the American Physical Society’s (APS) Division of Fluid Dynamics will begin in two weeks with presentations on new research in aerodynamics, turbulence, wind and water power, bubbles, culinary fluid dynamics, medicine, and more. The conference will be held in person at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC, Nov. 19-21. There are no press conferences planned for this year’s program. However, a tip sheet highlighting newsworthy presentations is now available in the meeting’s press kit. Registered journalists ...

The sky is no longer the limit — but taking flight is dangerous. In leaving the Earth’s surface, we lose many of the cues we need to orient ourselves, and that spatial disorientation can be deadly. Astronauts normally need intensive training to protect against it. But scientists have now found that wearable devices which vibrate to give orientation cues may boost the efficacy of this training significantly, making spaceflight slightly safer. “Long duration spaceflight will cause many physiological and psychological stressors which will make astronauts very susceptible to spatial disorientation,” ...

Niigata, Japan – The research group of Professor Kamimura in Niigata University have demonstrated the complementary role of peripheral and central nervous system on GH–IGF-1axis activation to prevent MASLD progression. IGF-1 ameliorates fatty infiltration in the liver. Its release is controlled by GH and GH activation is managed by peripheral or central nervous system. However, the role of this axis in MASLD developmental phase has not been well identified. Our study demonstrated that the GH–IGF-1 axis is significant in inhibiting the progression of MASLD. In addition to the peripheral autonomic ...

Researchers have reached an agreement on how best to measure the severity and impact of Long COVID by identifying a “Core Outcome Measure Set” (COMS). The research, published in Lancet Respiratory Medicine is co-led by the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King’s College London and in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO).   COMS are designed to help researchers and clinicians measure symptoms and impacts of disorders such as Long COVID in the same way, which optimises how data can be compared and summarised. Researchers say this will accelerate the understanding of, and the development ...

A new Cochrane review has found that insulin can be kept at room temperature for months without losing potency, offering hope to people living with diabetes in regions with limited access to healthcare or stable powered refrigeration. This affects millions of people living in low- and middle-income countries, particularly in rural areas, as well as people whose lives have been disrupted by conflict or natural disasters. Human insulin is a hormone produced by the body that helps turn food into energy and controls blood sugar levels. People with diabetes cannot make enough insulin and those with type 1 diabetes have to inject insulin several times a day, typically before every meal. ...

EMBARGOED: Not for Release Until 00:01 AM (UK Time) on Friday 3 November 2023 New research highlights the need for routine discussions about eye donation in end-of-life care clinical settings Less than four per cent of eligible patients in end-of-life care settings were asked to consider eye donation Patients had positive views about eye donation, but most did not know it could be an option for them Staff need training and guidance to support discussing eye donation with patients A new study has found there is significant scope to increase the number of eye donations from patients cared for in hospice and palliative care settings - donations which are desperately needed for ...

PHILADELPHIA— Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a rare newborn genetic disease that impacts between 1 in 10,000 to 1 in 20,000 people, depending on the individuals’ genetic ancestry. PKU causes an amino acid—called phenylalanine (Phe)—to build up in the bloodstream. Uncontrolled PKU can lead to intellectual disability, psychiatric issues, and seizures. While current therapies can partially improve outcomes, they require meticulous, lifelong compliance that is very difficult for most patients. ...

Mount Sinai researchers have shed valuable light on the mechanism of a key protein that regulates the plasticity and function of the hippocampus, a key brain region involved in memory and learning, and that decreases with age in mice. The team’s findings, published in Molecular Psychiatry, could pave the way for a better understanding of how the protein, known as tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 2 (TIMP2), could potentially be targeted in age-related disorders like Alzheimer’s disease to help restore ...

University of Houston Assistant Professor of Biology and Biochemistry Quentin Vicens has been awarded a $1.2 million grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences to unravel the mystery of Z-RNA – an enigmatic RNA structure within our cells that plays a critical role in immune response. This work is in collaboration with the laboratory of Beat Vögeli, associate professor at the University of Colorado and co-recipient of the award. Vicens, Vögeli and their research teams are on a mission to understand how Z-RNA forms, how often it appears in our genetic material and what it means for ...

Highlights In a preclinical study, altering the intestinal microbiome with narrow-spectrum antibiotics affected organ damage associated with hypertension. Results from the study will be presented at ASN Kidney Week 2023 November 1–November 5. Philadelphia, PA (November 2, 2023) — New research in rodents indicates that altering gut microbes may affect the development of organ damage associated with hypertension. The findings will be presented at ASN Kidney Week 2023 November 1–November ...

Highlights Investigators found that in patients with diabetes and cancer, sodium glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors were associated with a higher risk of diabetic ketoacidosis and fracture and a lower risk of acute kidney injury and urinary tract infection compared with glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists. Results from the study will be presented at ASN Kidney Week 2023, November 1–November 5. Philadelphia, PA (November 2, 2023) — Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) have heart- and kidney-related benefits for patients with and without diabetes ...

Highlights Among individuals receiving in-center hemodialysis treatment in Washington, Oregon, and California, exposure to wildfire-related air pollution was associated with elevated risks of hospitalization and mortality. Results from the study will be presented at ASN Kidney Week 2023 November 1–November 5. Philadelphia, PA (November 2, 2023) — In analyses of data from western US states, increases in wildfire-related air pollution around dialysis clinics were linked to higher rates of hospitalizations and deaths among patients. The research will be presented at ASN Kidney Week 2023 ...

Highlights A tool that provides an automated prompt to physicians increased kidney disease screening in patients with type 2 diabetes. Results from the study will be presented at ASN Kidney Week 2023 November 1–November 5. Philadelphia, PA (November 2, 2023) — Investigators have implemented an automated health maintenance tool created by the National Kidney Foundation into electronic medical records to prompt primary care physicians to screen for chronic kidney disease (CKD) in adult patients ...

The gene-editing technology known as CRISPR has led to revolutionary changes in agriculture, health research and more. In research published in Nature Catalysis, scientists at Florida State University produced the first high-resolution, time-lapsed images showing magnesium ions interacting with the CRISPR-Cas9 enzyme while it cut strands of DNA, providing clear evidence that magnesium plays a role in both chemical bond breakage and near-simultaneous DNA cutting. “If you are cutting genes, you don’t want to have only one strand of DNA broken, because the cell can repair it easily without editing. You want both strands to be broken,” said Hong ...

ITHACA, N.Y. – Online grocery carts tend to include less variety and fewer fruits and vegetables than those in a trip to a brick-and-mortar supermarket – but online shoppers are less susceptible to unhealthy impulse buys, according to a new Cornell University study. In an analysis of nearly 2 million shopping trips, the researchers found that within a given household, Instacart baskets are more similar to each other from week to week than in-store carts, with more than twice as many overlapping items between successive trips to the same retailer. Nutritionally, however, ...

Generative artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT, an AI-powered language tool, and Midjourney, an AI-powered image generator, can potentially assist people with various disabilities. These tools could summarize content, compose messages or describe images. Yet the degree of this potential is an open question, since, in addition to regularly spouting inaccuracies and failing at basic reasoning, these tools can perpetuate ableist biases. This year, seven researchers at the University of Washington conducted a three-month autoethnographic study — drawing on their own experiences as people with and without disabilities — to test AI tools’ utility for accessibility. Though ...

November 2, 2023 UMass Hydrogeologists Develop Innovative Way to Predict Saltwater Intrusion into Groundwater Using Plymouth, Mass. as Test Case Working closely with local conservation group, researchers develop new model to predict climate-change driven saltwater intrusion that is transferable to other vulnerable coastal communities   AMHERST, Mass. – As the world warms and ice sheets melt, the ocean continually rises. The greater Boston area can expect to see between one and six feet of sea level rise by 2100, according to recent ...

By David L. Chandler WOODS HOLE, Mass. -- Sharks differ from other fish in many ways, including an apparently remarkable ability to heal from wounds, according to reports of sharks recovering from injuries sustained in the wild.  While this healing ability has not yet been documented in controlled laboratory conditions, some of the chemical compounds found in shark skin may have significant biomedical potential. To investigate this possibility, two dermatology researchers from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden carried out research on a small shark, the spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias) and other cartilaginous fish species at the ...

Epigenetics, the chemical mechanisms that controls the activity of genes, allows our cells, tissues and organs to adapt to the changing circumstances of the environment around us. This advantage can become a drawback, though, as this epigenetic regulation can be more easily altered by toxins than the more stable genetic sequence of the DNA. An article recently published at Science with the collaboration of the groups of Dr. Manel Esteller, Director of the Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute ...