Author Archive
Hooray for Hollywood robots: Movie machines may boost robot acceptance
Remembering robots from film portrayals may help ease some of the anxiety that older adults have about using a robot, according to Penn State researchers.Eastern U.S. forests more vulnerable to drought than before 1800s
Over thousands of years, most forests in the eastern United States evolved with frequent fire, which promoted tree species and ecosystems that were both fire and drought resistant. In little more than a century, humans upset that balance, suggest researchers, who blame the change, in part, on the well-meaning efforts of Smokey Bear.Discovery of unique muscle fibers of upper airway in humans
Researchers at Umeå University have discovered unique muscle fibers in the soft palate of the mouth in both infants and adults. The fibers seem to be present in greater number in snorers and sleep apnea patients. The findings were recently published in the Journal of Anatomy.Sweeping Review of Human Genome IDs Stroke Risk Genes
Researchers seeking to better understand how our genes contribute to stroke risk have completed what is believed to be the largest and most comprehensive review of the human genome to identify genes that predispose people to ischemic stroke, the cause of approximately 85 percent of all stroke cases.Scientists Seek to Improve Flu Vaccine for the Very Young
Scientists at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry have discovered a way to make a nasal spray flu vaccine safer for those who are at greatest risk of catching the flu, particularly infants under the age of 2. The work is early and a long way from being applied in people, but offers promise for a vaccine that could better protect the most vulnerable.Psoriasis patients have reduced access to efficient treatment method with age
Self-adaptive material heals itself, stays tough
An adaptive material invented at Rice University combines self-healing and reversible self-stiffening properties.Nano-hybrid materials create magnetic effect
Developing novel materials from the atoms up goes faster when some of the trial and error is eliminated. A new Rice University and Montreal Polytechnic study aims to do that for graphene and boron nitride hybrids.