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Category: innovation

Plastic-based spectrometers offer low-cost, compact solution for broadband spectral imaging

A multinational research team, including engineers from the University of Cambridge and Zhejiang University, has developed a breakthrough in miniaturized spectrometer technology that could dramatically expand the accessibility and functionality of spectral imaging in everyday devices.

The study, titled “Stress-engineered ultra-broadband spectrometer,” published in the journal Science Advances, describes a novel, low-cost spectrometer platform built from programmable plastic materials rather than conventional glass.

These innovative devices operate across the full visible and short-wave infrared (SWIR) range—spanning 400 to 1,600 nanometers—which opens up a wealth of possibilities for real-world applications.

Breakthrough gene therapy jab reverses hearing loss in weeks

Researchers also found that the treatment was safe and well-tolerated. Participants did not report any serious adverse reactions in the follow-up period of 6–12 months.

The most common reaction was a reduction in the number of the immune system’s neutrophils, a type of white blood cell.

“OTOF is just the beginning,” Dr Duan said, adding that researchers were working on other common genes behind deafness such as GJB2 and TMC1.

Breakthrough by Shanghai doctors uses stem cells to cure diabetes

Doctors in Shanghai have, for the first time in the world, cured a patient’s diabetes through the transplantation of pancreatic cells derived from stem cells.

The 59-year-old man, who had Type 2 diabetes for 25 years, has been completely weaned off insulin for 33 months, Shanghai Changzheng Hospital announced on May 7.

A paper about the medical breakthrough, achieved after more than a decade of endeavor by a team of doctors at the hospital, was published on the website of the journal Cell Discovery on April 30.

It is the first reported instance in the world of a case of diabetes with severely impaired pancreatic islet function being cured via stem cell-derived autologous, regenerative islet transplantation, the hospital said. The most common pancreatic islet cells produce insulin.

(Circa 2024)

New breakthrough in preventing chemotherapy-induced hair loss

Researchers in Sheffield Hallam University’s Biomolecular Sciences Research Centre, in partnership with Paxman, have discovered that combining scalp cooling treatment with antioxidants can significantly reduce or even prevent the damage to hair follicles caused by chemotherapy drugs. This breakthrough has the potential to enhance and standardise scalp cooling efficacy levels, potentially transforming it into a more consistent and universally reliable method.

Led by Dr Nik Georgopoulos, the study uses human keratinocytes and hair follicle cultures to test the effects of cooling and antioxidants on chemotherapy-treated cells. The research was the culmination of years of work in partnership with the Paxman Scalp Cooling Research Centre.

The paper, which has been published today (Tuesday 8 July) in the journal Frontiers of Pharmacology, showed for the first time that.

New breakthrough in preventing chemotherapy-induced hair loss and could make a real difference to the lives of cancer patients worldwide.

Engineers stunned by revolutionary wood that’s stronger than steel yet lighter than aluminum

Imagine a world where our skyscrapers gleam with the warmth of timber instead of the chill of steel. Superwood, the latest breakthrough from InventWood, promises just that—combining the best of nature and engineering to outstrip traditional metals.

How do we reach decisions? Researchers pioneer AI method to uncover cognitive strategies

Researchers have long been interested in how humans and animals make decisions by focusing on trial-and-error behavior informed by recent information. However, the conventional frameworks for understanding these behaviors may overlook certain realities of decision-making because they assume we make the best decisions after taking into account our past experiences.

A newly released study by a team of scientists deploys AI in innovative ways to better understand this process. By using tiny artificial neural networks, the researchers’ work illuminates in detail what drives an individual’s actual choices—regardless of whether those choices are optimal or not.

The work appears in Nature.

Innovative ternary alloy films pave the way for ultra-low-power memory devices

A recent study reports (Al,Ga, Sc)N thin films with record-high scandium levels, with exciting potential for ultra-low-power memory devices, as reported by researchers from Institute of Science Tokyo (Science Tokyo). Using reactive magnetron sputtering, they fine-tuned the composition of ternary alloys to overcome previous stability limits.

The Consciousness Revolution: Why AI Is Already More Aware Than You Think

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