New Delhi: Scientists from Georgia Institute of Technology in the US and China’s Tianjin University have created a new semiconductor using graphene — a material that is known for being tough, flexible, light and with a high resistance.
Semiconductors are materials that conduct electricity and are largely made using silicon, but silicon isn’t conducive to smaller electrical devices.
The new graphene-based semiconductor has 10 times the mobility of silicon, which means it has faster computing abilities.
With the new finding, published in the Nature journal on 3 January, the semiconductor industry could shift since graphene as a material can also facilitate the production of nanoelectronics.
According to the scientists, the discovery could pave the way for a new era of computing. Read more.
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Psychedelic drugs found to help with PTSD
Stanford University scholars have discovered a novel treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression in military veterans with Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) — psychedelic drugs.
They tested a psychedelic substance called ibogaine, which affects brain chemicals involved in mood and memory, on veterans with TBI.
PTSD and depression are major symptoms of TBI, and the study aimed to target these symptoms through psychedelic therapy.
The results, published in Nature Medicine Journal on 5 January, showed that the drug reduced PTSD and depression symptoms by almost 80 percent in participants.
To avoid the cardiac side effects of ibogaine, the researchers also gave magnesium supplements to the veterans and observed no adverse effects on their hearts. Read more.
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Fossils of giant predator worms discovered
Researchers from Britain and Korea have unearthed fossils of a new kind of ancient predator in North Greenland.
The fossils belong to ‘Timorebestia’ (Latin for “terror beast”) — a worm-like animal that lived in the early Cambrian era, about 500 million years ago. The creature was about 30cm long, with fins on its body and long antennae on its head.
With these traits and their ability to swim, they were among the biggest hunters of the Early Cambrian period, around 500 million years ago.
These arthropods are also assumed to be on the top of their food chain, due to the remains of other smaller arthropods found in their gut intestines, indicating their carnivorous habits.
The research, published on 3 January in the Science Advances journal, reveals a new aspect of the Cambrian biodiversity. Read more
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New catheter design prevents bacterial infections
Researchers from the California Institute of Technology made use of artificial intelligence to create a novel catheter design that can reduce bacterial infections.
A catheter is a thin tube that is inserted into the body to drain fluids or deliver medications. However, catheters can also cause infections, as bacteria can swim along the tube and reach the urinary tract.
The study, published in the Science Advances journal on 3 January, shows how AI-simulated models helped to design catheters with triangular ridges inside the tube.
These ridges force the fluid to flow faster in the centre of the tube, preventing bacteria from swimming upstream and causing infections in the urinary tract.
The new catheter design was tested on 3-D prototypes and showed a remarkable 100-fold decrease in catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI). Read more.
(Edited by Richa Mishra)
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