Category Technology/Electronics

Dr. Folmer is a research investigator with the National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research at the VA Portland Health Care System and associate professor of Otolarynology/Head and Neck Surgery in the OHSU School of Medicine.
Credit: National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research at the VA Portland Health Care System/OHSU

This depression Rx tool holds tremendous promise for patients with debilitating condition. In the largest US clinical trial of its kind researchers found that transcranial magnetic stimulation significantly improved tinnitus symptoms for more than half of study participants.

“For some study participants, this was the first time in years that they experienced any relief in symptoms...

Biochemical sensing b/n organisms could have far reaching implications in ecology, biology, and robotics. A Virginia Tech scientist used a mathematical model to demonstrate that bacteria can control the behavior of an inanimate device like a robot. “Basically we were trying to find out from the mathematical model if we could build a living microbiome on a nonliving host and control the host through the microbiome,” said Ruder, an assistant professor of biological systems engineering in both the College of Agriculture and Life sciences and the College of Engineering.

“We found that robots may indeed be able to have a working brain,” he said. For future experiments, Ruder is building real-world robots that will have the ability to read bacterial gene expression levels in E...

A team of chemists from the University of Wisconsin-Madison has introduced a new fuel cell catalyst approach that uses a molecular catalyst system instead of solid catalysts.
Credit: Stahl Group/University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Instead of expensive platinum etc, a metal-free alternative catalyst for fuel cells may be at hand. A team of chemists from University of Wisconsin-Madison introduces a new approach that uses a molecular catalyst system instead of solid catalysts. Although molecular catalysts have been explored before, earlier examples were much less efficient than the traditional platinum catalyst.

A fuel cell converts chemical energy into electricity by reacting H2 and O2 at 2 different electrodes. A catalyst makes the reaction more efficient.
Prof Stahl and scientist Gerken took...

Rice University researchers (from left) Emilia Morosan, Eteri Svanidze and Jiakui Wang revealed their discovery of the first itinerant antiferromagnet. Credit: Jeff Fitlow/Rice University

Combining Titanium and Gold to make 1st itinerant antiferromagnet: TiAu. This is not the kind of magnet one would stick to a refrigerator. Magnetic order only appears in TiAu when the metal is cooled to 36K = -395F. “Magnetization is a function of temperature,” said lead author Eteri Svanidze. “The magnet’s ordering temperature appears as an anomaly in the smooth curve we see in such magnetization measurements.” For common magnets, it is generally 100s of degs F, way hotter than any kitchen...