Breaking the bond: To take part or not?
Physicists working have investigated if and how chemical reactions can be influenced by targeted vibrational excitation of the reactants. They were able to demonstrate that excitation with a laser beam does not affect the efficiency of a chemical exchange reaction and that the excited molecular group acts only as a spectator in the reaction.
Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/07/180706160633.htm
Kirigami-inspired technique manipulates light at the nanoscale
Nanokirigami has taken off as a field of research in the last few years; the approach is based on the ancient arts of origami (making 3-D shapes by folding paper) and kirigami (which allows cutting as well as folding) but applied to flat materials at the nanoscale, measured in billionths of a meter.
Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/07/180706152407.htm
Model automates molecule design to speed drug development
Designing new molecules for pharmaceuticals is primarily a manual, time-consuming process that's prone to error. But researchers have now taken a step toward fully automating the design process, which could drastically speed things up -- and produce better results.
Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/07/180706150819.htm
Training artificial intelligence with artificial X-rays
AI holds real potential for improving both the speed and accuracy of medical diagnostics -- but before clinicians can harness the power of AI to identify conditions in images such as X-rays, they have to 'teach' the algorithms what to look for. Now, engineers have designed a new approach: using machine learning to create computer generated X-rays to augment AI training sets.
Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/07/180706150816.htm
Scattering of W and Z bosons: Rare process like 'tiny lightsabers'
Particle physicists have discovered an extremely rare process that can be compared to tiny lightsabers. The researchers have shown that messenger particles of the so-called weak interaction interact with each other in a scattering process.
Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/07/180706122609.htm
Photonic capsules for injectable laser resonators
Researchers have presented photonic capsules for injectable laser resonators using microfluidic technology. The capsule's diameter is comparable to a human hair and stable in gas and liquid media, so it is injectable into any target volume.
Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/07/180706102915.htm
Tailored polymers from a printer
An ever-growing number of coatings, including varnishes and printing inks, as well as tooth fillings, are cured with light. Yet, homogenous, tailored, polymer networks cannot be produced, and the materials tend to be brittle, which limits the use of photopolymers in applications like 3D printing, biomedicine, and microelectronics. Researchers present a method by which methacrylate-based, homogenously crosslinked, tailored, tough polymers can be made -- even at high resolution for 3D printing.
Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/07/180706102911.htm
Nature's antifreeze inspires revolutionary bacteria cryopreservation technique
The survival mechanisms of polar fish have led scientists to develop of a revolutionary approach to 'freeze' bacteria.
Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/07/180706100303.htm
Smart bandages designed to monitor and tailor treatment for chronic wounds
A team of engineers has developed a prototype bandage designed to actively monitor the condition of chronic wounds and deliver appropriate drug treatments to improve the chances of healing. While the lab-tested bandages remain to be assessed in a clinical context, the research is aimed at transforming bandaging from a traditionally passive treatment into a more active paradigm to address a persistent and difficult medical challenge.
Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/07/180706091726.htm
Fragment of impacting asteroid recovered in Botswana
On Saturday, June 23, 2018, a team of experts from Botswana, South Africa, Finland and the United States of America recovered a fresh meteorite in Botswana's Central Kalahari Game Reserve.
Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/07/180706091720.htm
Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/news/top/technology/