Research led by the Cavendish Laboratory at the University of Cambridge has identified a material that could help tackle speed and energy, the two biggest challenges for computers of the future.
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Nanograined metals and alloys, whose grain size is less than 100 nm, exhibit extremely high strength and high ductility, possessing excellent mechanical properties. Nanograined materials, however, have a large number of grain boundaries and hence high total grain boundary energy. At a temperature higher than a critical temperature, grains in nanograined materials will grow spontaneously to reduce the grain boundary energy, leading to thermal instability of the materials. A common approach to enhance the thermal stability is via grain boundary energy segregation, which thermodynamically lowers the grain boundary energy and kinetically pins the movement of grain boundaries, thereby enhancing the critical temperature of recrystallization. However, the role of mechanical stresses in the thermal stability has not been systematically studied yet.
Researchers have developed a method, described in APL Bioengineering, that uses machine learning to determine whether a single cell is cancerous by detecting its pH. Their approach can discriminate cells originating from normal tissues from cells originating from cancerous tissues, as well as among different types of cancer, while keeping the cells alive. The method relies on treating the cells with bromothymol blue, a pH-sensitive dye that changes color depending on acidity.
Credit: (URI photo/Patrick Luce)
KINGSTON, R.I. - March 16, 2021 - Researchers at the University of Rhode Island have developed a new COVID-19 test that will soon be put into use across its campuses as a screening and surveillance tool for the COVID-19 virus. The saliva-based test is less invasive than many of the traditional nasal swab tests in use, and researchers say it is sensitive, specific, and can deliver results at a lower cost. The University is launching a clinical trial this week as part of the final phase of data collection and validation in preparation for an Emergency Use Authorization submission to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.