news 2018

Plant speed breeding could be part of the solution to minimise the devastating effects of drought and climate change on crops in the future, according to a University of Queensland researcher. UQ Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI) Senior Research Fellow Dr Lee Hickey said the technique can enable researchers and plants breeders to deliver more tolerant varieties of crops to farmers sooner.

Thanks to sensors attached to their shoes, long-distance runners can harness the power of algorithms to analyze their stride. The algorithms, developed by EPFL spin-off Gait Up and tested in the Laboratory of Movement Analysis and Measurement (LMAM), are unmatched in terms of precision and the range of parameters measured, such as objective fatigue, cadence, strike angle and foot impact.

A team of scientists from the University of Bristol and Bristol Zoological Society have collaborated to develop a 'ground-breaking' new animal enrichment activity for the gorillas at Bristol Zoo Gardens. The project integrates hidden computer technology with cognitive animal enrichment for the first time, to measure how gorillas solve complicated problems.

Researchers at the Institute for Rehabilitation and Performance Technology IRPT have developed novel systems that allow people paralysed by spinal cord injury to activate their muscles and propel a tricycle. The innovative work of two young IRPT researchers was recently rewarded through successful defence of their PhD theses.

The new version of the TWIICE walking-assistance system is not only lighter, more comfortable and more powerful, but patients can also put it on and use it themselves - giving them greater independence. It has been tested by handcycling champion Silke Pan. Silke Pan - a former acrobat who lost the use of her legs after a trapeze accident - arrives at the lab in a wheelchair.

Screens are now a fixture of modern childhood. As young people spend an increasing amount of time on electronic devices, the effects of these digital activities has become a prevalent concern among parents, caregivers, and policy-makers. Research indicating that between 50% to 90% of school-age children might not be getting enough sleep has prompted calls that technology use may be to blame.

Researchers have developed a protocol for checking that quantum computer components function as they should. That's a critical step in making the promise of quantum computing - including unprecedented computing power - a reality. Quantum computers are being developed by teams working not only at universities but also at Google, IBM, Microsoft and D-Wave, a start-up company.

Telecommunications is becoming ever more important for vehicles. At TU Wien, a new antenna concept has now been developed for cars. Driving without communication technology has now become almost unthinkable. It seems quite normal to us that navigation systems regularly update their maps and shows us the way using satellite data, or that we can make phone calls while driving.

Novel complex quantum entanglement generated in the laboratory for the first time For future technologies such as quantum computers and quantum encryption, the experimental mastery of complex quantum systems is inevitable. Scientists from the University of Vienna and the Austrian Academy of Sciences have succeeded in making another leap.

As quantum technology continues to come into its own, investment is happening on a global scale. Soon, we could see improvements in machine learning models, financial risk assessment, efficiency of chemical catalysts and the discovery of new medications. As numerous scientists, companies and governments rush to invest in the new era of quantum technology , a crucial piece of this wave of innovation is the quantum sensor.

A new ultrasound technique can help distinguish benign breast tumours from malignant ones. The technology was developed with support from the Swiss National Science Foundation. Ultrasound is one of the three main technologies used in medical imaging. It is more compact and affordable than nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques, and safer than x-rays.

Shape-shifting tires, digital driving assistants could enable safe driving over all kinds of terrain Wheels that transform into tracks on the fly and a digital assistant that helps drivers find the safest, surest route across steep terrain - or even does the driving at times - are technologies that could change expectations of what vehicles can do.

Mechanical versus Optical Gyroscopes Gyroscopes are devices that help vehicles, drones, and wearable and handheld electronic devices know their orientation in three-dimensional space. They are commonplace in just about every bit of technology we rely on every day. Originally, gyroscopes were sets of nested wheels, each spinning on a different axis.

People who frequently engage with multiple types of media at once performed worse on simple memory tasks, according to the last decade of research. However, it's still too soon to determine cause and effect, says psychology Professor Anthony Wagner. The smartphones that are now ubiquitous were just gaining popularity when Anthony Wagner became interested in the research of his Stanford colleague, Clifford Nass, on the effects of media multitasking and attention.

A 'brain training' app developed at the University of Cambridge could help people who suffer from obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) manage their symptoms, which may typically include excessive handwashing and contamination fears.

A system developed at TU Graz uses water as a storage medium for electricity and thermal energy. It can be used to meet up to 90% of our energy requirements - while producing zero emissions. Additional at the end of the text The idea is simple. A team headed by Franz Georg Pikl, a PhD candidate at the Institute of Hydraulic Engineering and Water Resources Management at TU Graz, has combined the advantages of pumped storage technology and heat storage using water as a medium to create a "hot-water pumped storage hydropower plant".

A new Institute where research will look into improving healing and make a difference to patients with debilitating conditions is opening today (10 October 2018) at the University of Birmingham. The Healthcare Technologies Institute (HTI) will strive to advance new technologies and treatments that encourage better tissue healing, quicker detection of diseases, and better outcomes for patients.

Researchers have carried out a study using smartphone data from young Swiss people to better understand the circumstances in which they are most likely to drink. A computer model developed from the data can estimate, with over 75% accuracy, whether alcohol was consumed on a given weekend night. Do young people drink more out on the town or at a friend's place?

A new treatment strategy could increase the success rate of stem cell transplants, according to University of Queensland researchers. The approach removes the need for donor matching and the use of immunosuppressant drugs to prevent rejection, and could make stem cell treatment accessible to more patients.