Anion exchange membrane (AEM) fuel cells (AEMFCs), which produce electricity using hydrogen, are considered an alternative to currently used proton exchange membrane fuel cells. However, AEMs have problems with stability in alkaline conditions, which can be overcome by crosslinking — but effects of crosslinker length on AEMFC performance are not well understood. Now, scientists have…

A new study of 2,500 Dutch children is the first to explore the relationship between brain volume and different doses of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields. The potential negative health consequences associated with children’s use of mobile devices have been a matter of concern for some time. Exposure to RF-EMF is of particular interest, since the preadolescent…

New research shows that fuel poverty makes people’s physical and mental health worse. Researchers found that not being able to keep homes warm enough affects people’s levels of life satisfaction. But they also found that it impacts people’s physical health by causing higher levels of inflammation, measured by fibrinogen, a blood-based biomarker. Researchers investigated how…

The incorporation of boron into polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon systems leads to interesting chromophoric and fluorescing materials for optoelectronics, including organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDS) and field-effect transistors, as well as polymer-based sensors. A research team has now introduced a new anionic organoborane compound. Synthesis of the borafluorene succeeded through the use of carbenes. Borafluorene is a…

Researchers have made a first step towards creating a precise measuring device for radioactive methane. The article by doctoral researcher Juho Karhu was published in February, 2019, in Optics Letters. The article described a new method for measuring radioactive methane. «The new method is an optical one based on spectroscopy. Previously, radioactive methane has been…

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) power all of modern-day electronic devices. However, with the shift from gasoline-powered vehicles to electric counterparts, there is a demand for higher battery capacity. In their quest for higher battery capacity, scientists devised a low-cost computational technique for extensively screening for atomic substitutions in LIBs to improve their discharge capacity, opening doors…

Current chemotherapy regimens slow cancer progression and save lives, but these powerful drugs affect both healthy and cancerous cells. Now, researchers have designed DNA-based nanogels that only break down and release their chemotherapeutic contents within cancer cells, minimizing the impacts on normal ones and potentially eliminating painful and uncomfortable side effects. Once ingested or injected,…

Researchers use statistical methods on video data to quantitatively determine the biomechanical techniques correlated with successful judo throws. This work may assist in developing supervised or self-guided training routines. Many athletic training regimens use repetition to perfect technique. However, seeing the difference between correct and improper form can often require the keen eye of an…

Researchers have developed a new computational tool that can identify pathways related to diseases, including breast and prostate cancer, using single-nucleotide polymorphisms. «This work was a part of the Mayo Grand Challenge, which aimed at improving our understanding of Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome,» said Saurabh Sinha (BSD/CABBI/GNDP/GSP), a professor of computer science and the IGB’s…

A new approach by chemists could help to significantly improve diagnostic tests based on PCR. The enzymes used are triggered by light pulses. For diagnostics tests based on PCR, such as the above mentioned test for COVID-19, the solution is the development of a hot-start enzyme, which shows no activity until a high activation temperature…