Tag: physical sciences
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NSF Grant to Fund R&D on Wireless Network Chip Connections
Engineers at Drexel University in Philadelphia are developing semiconductors using wireless connections in a network to exchange data among the chip’s components. The project is funded by a three-year $400,000 grant from National Science Foundation’s Electrical, Communications, and Cyber Systems division. The research is led by electrical engineering professor Baris Taskin (pictured left), who directs…
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Composite Nanofibers Developed for Orthopedic Biomaterials
Biomedical engineers at University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia developed a technology for creating composite nanoscale fibers for replacement tissue to treat orthopedic injuries. The team led by Penn medical school professor Robert Mauck published its findings online this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (paid subscription required). Recent advances in…
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Simple Process Devised to Make Thin-Film Display Material
Researchers at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island and Advanced Technology Materials Inc. in Danbury, Connecticut developed a simpler and less expensive process for producing thin films of indium tin oxide used in touch-screen displays and solar panels. The team led by Brown chemistry professor Shouheng Sun (pictured right) published its findings online in a…
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120-Car Fleet Testing Intelligent Vehicle Network
A fleet of 120 cars began today a field test in Germany of intelligent vehicle technology. Researchers at Munich Technical University (Technische Universität München, TUM) designed the testing scenarios and will process the data, as part of a larger project involving auto manufacturers, technology providers, universities, and research institutes. The Safe Intelligent Mobility – Test…
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NASA Awards Contracts for Commercial Human Space Flights
NASA signed new agreements today with three American companies to design and develop the next round of U.S. human space flights, succeeding the Space Shuttle and leading to a launch of astronauts from U.S. soil in the next five years. The agreements, which call for a base development period of 21 months, were made through…
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Virtual Reality Patients Devised to Train Psychologists
A University of Southern California researcher developed conversational virtual patients with symptoms of clinical psychological disorders that can interact with therapists. Albert “Skip” Rizzo of USC’s Institute for Creative Technologies (pictured right) discussed his research today in a session of American Psychological Association’s annual meeting in Orlando. Because of advances in technology, virtual humans can…
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ARPA-E to Fund $43 Million for Energy Storage R&D Projects
Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), in the U.S. Department of Energy, will support 19 new research and development projects to improve the management of energy storage technologies for vehicles and electrical power grids. The projects, totaling $43 million, will be funded out of the Energy Department’s Advanced Management and Protection of Energy Storage Devices (AMPED)…
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Biotech Chemical Company Raises $41.5M in Venture Funds
Genomatica, a developer of chemicals from renewable feedstocks in San Diego, raised $41.5 million in series D financing, the fourth cycle of venture funding after start-up. The round includes the Italian chemical company and new corporate partner Versalis, with existing investors Alloy Ventures, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Mohr Davidow Ventures, TPG Biotech, VantagePoint Capital Partners, and…
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Algorithm Taps Twitter Archive to Find Bullying Cases
Researchers at University of Wisconsin in Madison developed a method for analyzing Twitter messages to find tweets, as Twitter messages are called, with evidence of childhood bullying. Educational psychologist Amy Bellmore (pictured left) and colleagues from Wisoconsin’s psychology and computer science departments presented their findings at a North American chapter meeting of the Association for…
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Lighting Devised to Help Shift Workers Regulate Body Clocks
Researchers at Université Laval in Quebec City, Canada developed blue lighting to help shift workers regulate their internal clocks, to stay alert when working and get sleep when needed. Marc Hébert (pictured left), an ophthalmology professor at Laval and researcher in the university’s mental health research center, invented the light and started a company to…