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Printable liquid solar cells New types of solar cells have been developed by scientists at the University of Southern California (USC) that are suspended in liquid and can therefore be painted or printed on glass or plastic surfaces. The tiny solar cells are so small that you cannot see them with the naked eye — just four nanometres in size — so that some 250 billion such cells can be fitted on the head of a needle. Since they are so tiny, they can be printed like a newspaper so that mass production is possible very cheaply.
One of the problems with their use was to increase their efficiency and allow individual nanocrystals to communicate with one another. This problem was tackled by Richard L. Brutchey and coworkers, assistant professor of chemistry at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, and USC postdoctoral researcher David H. Webber, who found a synthetic material that helps to stabilise the nanocrystals and builds tiny bridges between them in order to help transmit an electric current. This allowed a stable liquid to be created that can conduct electricity. Before long we may have solar powered windows and walls instead of solar panels.
WiFi hotspots — on pavements Access to internet everywhere that one goes has become a daily necessity. Some restaurants do roaring business as they offer free WiFi hotspots on their premises. All that is about to undergo a further evolution as the pavements on which the pedestrians walk may soon be fitted with continuous WiFi hotspots.
A Spanish tech company has come forward with a novel invention — sidewalk paving stones that can also serve as WiFi hotspots! Each stone is fitted with a 5GB microprocessor that can communicate with mobile devices via Bluetooth and WiFi. A 1,000-watt cable runs under the pavement to supply power and internet access to the stones. The individual stones can be installed 20 metres from one another in order to ensure continuous coverage on the pavement.
iPavement also offers several cloud-based apps that include access to a digital library, maps showing the location of local super stores, restaurants, hospitals and schools, alerts about any street works and obstructions in nearby roads and streets as well as a music service to entertain you. The services offered are available in many languages and they can operate on a number of different browsers.
Ageing genes identified Researchers at Kings College London have identified certain genes that are responsible for the ageing process in human beings. They found that these genes are switched off and on by certain external factors such as diet and environment, and may hold the keys for living a longer healthier life. The discovery was made after they examined the similarity and differences in the genetic make-up of several hundred twins of varying age groups.
The study was conducted by Professor Tim Spector and Dr Jordana Bell who found that the four key genes that affected the rate of healthy ageing and potential longevity were related to cholesterol, lung function and maternal longevity. It provides a deeper insight into the ageing process and opens the door to new anti-ageing therapies.
Minimising brain injuries Researchers at North Carolina’s Wake Forest Baptist Medical Centre have found a new way to minimise brain damage after injury. When the head receives a severe injury, it leads to irreversible death of some brain cells at the point of impact. Toxic substances are then released at the injured area which cause the brain to swell, thereby decreasing the blood flow to that region. This leads to lower oxygen levels that in turn causes more brain cells to die. These brain cell deaths often lead to permanent impairment of body functions.
The US researchers found that if a bioengineered material matrix is placed directly on the injured area of the brain, and then computer controlled vacuum suction applied, it could draw out the excess liquid causing the swelling, and considerably reduce secondary cell deaths. The process, known as mechanical tissue resuscitation (MTR), was found to be effective in reducing the brain damage by about 50 per cent and the rats recovered much more quickly from the brain injuries.
The technique will soon be subjected to clinical trials for applications on human patients.
Hope for the balding Professor Takashi Tsuji and coworkers from the Tokyo University of Science have found a way to induce hair growth in hairless mice — by using stem cells. They successfully induced natural hair growth by implanting bioengineered hair follicles that were formed from adult tissue derived stem cells. This brings new hope for the balding and also opens up new possibilities of bioengineering of organs for regenerative therapies.
