Technology

A hacked Microsoft Kinect games controller has been used to relieve one of the most distressing symptoms of Parkinson's - freezing of gait. Many patients are afflicted by 'freezing of gait' where suddenly, in mid-stride, the muscles freeze and they are left unable to move forward, or they simply fall over. Previous research has found that giving visual clues, such as projecting lines ahead on the floor, “unfreezes” the muscles but equipment had to be worn.  Scientists at Brunel University London have turned Microsoft’s Kinect computer games controller into a system that can instead be…

We know that everyone has influences and inspirations and collaborations, but they often go unmentioned. How do classical music composers collaborate with and influence one another? We have some answers. Big Data has been able to show how culture has evolved and influenced the recording market. A new study was based on the largest classical music recordings database to date, using online retailer ArkivMusic and music reference site AllMusicGuide. The authors focused on analyzing networks of composers contemporary to CD publications, using modern data analysis and data modeling…

A new study concludes that most U.S. clinical registries that collect data on patient outcomes are substandard and lack critical features necessary to render the information they collect useful. A paper in the Journal for Healthcare Quality reveals poor data monitoring and reporting that researchers say are hurting national efforts to study disease, guide patient choice of optimal treatments, formulate rational health policies and track in a meaningful way how well physicians and hospitals perform. Clinical registries are databases of patient outcomes developed and maintained by medical…

When a crystal lattice is excited by a laser pulse, waves of jostling atoms can travel through the material at about 28,000 miles/second, close to one sixth the speed of light. Now researchers can take movies of such superfast movement. STAMP - Sequentially Timed All-optical Mapping Photography -  is a new high-speed camera that can record events at a rate of more than 1-trillion-frames-per-second, 1000X faster than conventional high-speed cameras.  Conventional high-speed cameras are limited by the processing speed of their mechanical and electrical components. STAMP overcomes…

Every day, thousands of people need donated blood but blood transfusions require that the blood type of the donor match that of the recipient., unless it is blood without A- or B-type antigens, such as type O, that can be given to all of those in need. Mismatched blood with A or B antigens could provoke an immune reaction and even cause death.  For that reason, Type O is often in short supply, but science may soon have a solution. Stephen G. Withers and colleagues write in Journal of the American Chemical Society of an efficient way to transform A and B blood into a…

Blocked blood vessels can quickly become dangerous so it's often necessary to replace them, either by another vessel taken from the body or with artificial vascular prostheses. A new project has developed artificial blood vessels made from a special elastomer material, which has excellent mechanical properties and over time, these artificial blood vessels are replaced by endogenous material  so that by the end of this restorative process, a natural, fully functional vessel is once again in place.  The work in rats was conducted by Vienna University of Technology and Vienna Medical…

Autonomous locomotion for a macroscopic liquid metal machine has been made self-actuated when fueled with aluminum (Al) flake and now a much larger liquid metal machine has been made possible. It can autonomously move and accelerate with an increase in temperature. When dividing a large running liquid metal vehicle into several smaller ones, each of them can still maintains its traveling state along the original track. If several dispersive vehicles moved close to each other, they can coalesce seamlessly, and then still kept moving forward. American science-fiction cinema fans are either…

At first my meal seems familiar, like countless other dishes I’ve eaten at Asian restaurants. A swirl of noodles slicked with oil and studded with shredded chicken, the aroma of ginger and garlic, a few wilting chives placed on the plate as a final flourish. And then, I notice the eyes. Dark, compound orbs on a yellow speckled head, joined to a winged, segmented body. I hadn’t spotted them right away, but suddenly I see them everywhere – my noodles are teeming with insects. I can’t say I wasn’t warned. On this warm May afternoon, I’ve agreed to be a guinea pig at an experimental insect…

The future of lethal autonomous weapon systems (LAWS) – often referred to in the popular press as “killer robots” – remains uncertain following a week-long meeting in Geneva to discuss their legality. While the LAWS debate in Geneva was deeper and richer than previous discussions, key definitions – which are needed to word a protocol to restrict them – remain unclear and up for continued debate. And with nations like the United Kingdom openly opposed to a ban, a protocol may end up being blocked entirely, much to to the chagrin of activists. The British say existing international…

A recent randomized trial looked at the feasibility of 2013 guidelines issued by the American College of Surgeons Trauma Quality Improvement Project for trauma resuscitation and found that delivering universal donor plasma to massively hemorrhaging patients can be accomplished consistently and rapidly and without excessive wastage in high volume trauma centers. The plasma is given in addition to red blood cell transfusions to optimize treatment.  Injury is the leading cause of death among young adults, and uncontrolled hemorrhage is the most important preventable factor among those who…