(National Institute for Materials Science, Japan) NIMS and AIST developed a liquid electret material capable of semi-permanently retaining static electricity. They subsequently combined this material with soft electrodes to create the first bendable, stretchable vibration-powered device in the world. Because this device is highly deformable and capable of converting very subtle vibrations into electrical signals, it may be applicable to the development of healthcare-devices, such as self-powered heartbeat and pulse sensors.

Original source: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-12/nifm-doa_1122219.php

(University of Konstanz) A European team of researchers including physicists from the University of Konstanz has found a way of transporting electrons at times below the femtosecond range by manipulating them with light. This could have major implications for the future of data processing and computing.

Original source: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-12/uok-eat122119.php

(National Foundation for Cancer Research) A translational research project supported by the National Foundation for Cancer Research (NFCR) has been awarded $700,000 from Virginia Catalyst to advance its lead cancer drug candidate. NFCR’s $400,000 translational research support for the project in 2017 and 2018 is in addition to over $850,000 in basic cancer research funding which the organization has provided to Dr. Fisher and his lab since 2008.

Original source: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-12/nffc-nft122319.php

(Scripps Research Institute) Scientists at Scripps Research in Jupiter have developed a special molecular switch that could be embedded into gene therapies to allow doctors to control dosing.The feat, reported in the scientific journal Nature Biotechnology, offers gene therapy designers what may be the first viable technique for adjusting the activity levels of their therapeutic genes.

Original source: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-12/sri-nta122419.php

(NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center) Typhoon Phanfone, known locally in the Philippines as Ursula, was making landfall in the central part of the country when NASA-NOAA’s Suomi NPP satellite passed overhead on Dec. 24.

Original source: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-12/nsfc-nst122419.php

(Research Organization of Information and Systems) Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT) took English written exam of the 2019 National Center Test for University Admissions and achieved high marks of 185 points (64.1 T-score). This reflects NTT’s AI-related technologies “corevo” and National Institute of InformaticsAI project “Todai Robot Project”. It was made possible by natural language processing technologies based on deep learning. Team improved score by more than 30 points (= 7 T-score points) compared to simple deep learning application.

Original source: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-12/rooi-aaa122419.php

(University of Central Florida) A team of Florida researchers and their collaborators created a first-of-its-kind computer model that tracks where sea turtle hatchlings go after they leave Florida’s shores, giving scientists a new tool to figure out where young turtles spend their ‘lost years.’

Original source: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-12/uocf-wdb122319.php

(Peter the Great Saint-Petersburg Polytechnic University) Research group develops a theory that describes the behavior of graphene in the moment of it’s transition from the state of thermal equilibrium and the process of returning to this state.

Original source: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-12/ptgs-rtd122319.php

(University at Buffalo) Scientists have created thin films made from barium zirconium sulfide (BaZrS3) and confirmed that the materials have alluring electronic and optical properties predicted by theorists. The films combine exceptionally strong light absorption with good charge transport — qualities that make them ideal for applications such as photovoltaics and LEDs.

Original source: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-12/uab-sct122319.php

(Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne) Researchers at EPFL have patented a new concept that could cut trucks’ CO2 emissions by almost 90%. It involves capturing CO2 within the exhaust system, converting it into a liquid and storing it on the vehicle. The liquid CO2 would then be delivered to a service station and where it will be turned back into fuel using renewable energy.

Original source: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-12/epfd-ccf122319.php