Forum for Science, Industry and Business

A computed tomography (CT) scan of the head is routinely performed as a check after operating a subdural haematoma. However, this may prompt additional, unnecessary surgeries and result in higher costs as well as an increased rate of complications, without recognizable benefits for the patients. This is shown by a study recently published in the renowned “New England Journal of Medicine” by the University Neurocenter Bern at Inselspital.

In order to save energy, aerodynamics is important for cars and aircraft. However, technologies controlling saving of energy are only designed for one speed range. Researchers at Technische Universität Kaiserslautern have developed a more flexible method: Thanks to a so-called shape memory wire, the "intelligent material" can automatically adapt its shape to changing conditions. It can also be tailored to customer requirements and integrated into existing components. The researchers market their material in their start-up “CompActive.” They will present this material at the Hannover Messe from 1 to 5 April at the Rhineland-Palatinate research stand (Hall 2, Stand B40).

Nanoscale patterning could enable precise manipulation of objects on many scales

Researchers from the University of Konstanz, Bielefeld University and ETH Zurich demonstrate for the first time that the pulsed EPR technique RIDME (relaxation-induced dipolar modulation enhancement) can be used for in-cell distance determination in biomacromolecules. Applied within the cell, RIDME improves significantly on conventional double electron–electron resonance (DEER) measurements.

The Potsdam Echelle Polarimetric and Spectroscopic Instrument (PEPSI) at the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT) in Arizona released its first image of the surface magnetic field of another star. In a paper in the European journal Astronomy & Astrophysics, the PEPSI team presents a Zeeman- Doppler-Image of the surface of the magnetically active star II Pegasi.

World’s largest study of deep brain stimulation in the brain’s reward system / Study with 16 participants with previously treatment-resistant depression shows excellent results over one year / Results published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology

Researchers at Saarland University have created an ultrathin flexible film that can act as a sensor for innovative technologies. Integrated within a glove, the new sensory film can communicate the current position of the wearer’s hand and fingers. By establishing a direct connection between the virtual and real working worlds, man and machine can, quite literally, work hand in hand. The research team led by Professor Stefan Seelecke has achieved this through the use of smart silicone films. Another goal of the research work is to assist the wearer of the glove by transmitting tactile signals, such as pulses or vibrations, that are produced by the polymer film.

Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology and the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, have proposed a way to create a completely new source of radiation. Ultra-intense light pulses consist of the motion of a single wave and can be described as a tsunami of light. The strong wave can be used to study interactions between matter and light in a unique way. Their research is now published in the scientific journal Physical Review Letters.

Scientists at the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences recently revealed hydroxyl super rotors from water photochemistry by using the Dalian Coherent Light Source (DCLS). The researchers, under the direction of Prof. YUAN Kaijun and Prof. YANG Xueming, published their findings in Nature Communications.

Researchers from the University of British Columbia and McMaster University have developed what could be the bone implant material of the future: an airy, foamlike substance that can be injected into the body and provide scaffolding for the growth of new bone.

Sensors allow the automation of production and logistic processes and are consequently the foundation for effective added value. Yet, their advantages are evident: Compared to optical sensors, radar systems are unaffected by challenging visual conditions and, opposed to X-rays, they pose no threat to health. The Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics IAF develops compact and high-resolution radar systems, which can significantly increase the efficiency of different industrial processes. The newest technologies will be shown at Hannover Fair 2019 (Hall 2, Booth C22), from April 1-5.

The INM - Leibniz Institute for New Materials has developed new processes with photochemical metallization and printing (gravure printing, inkjet printing) of transparent conductive oxides (TCOs), which are significantly more time- and cost-saving. These will be presented by the scientists at this year's Hannover Messe from 1 to 5 April at Stand C54 in Hall 5.

Painkillers and cancer medications, psychotherapeutic drugs, allergy medications – many substances used in the medical sciences are manufactured with the help of piperidin-4-ones. These are intermediates created by reactions with derivatives of ammonia. Werner Seebacher from the Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Graz has discovered an alternative reaction pathway to synthesise new kinds of piperidin-4-ones that have the potential to significantly increase the range of therapeutic options they offer. The University of Graz is currently looking for a partner from the pharmaceutical industry to realise the potential of this technology.

Tiny, easy-to-produce particles, called quantum dots, may soon take the place of more expensive single crystal semiconductors in advanced electronics found in solar panels, camera sensors and medical imaging tools. Although quantum dots have begun to break into the consumer market - in the form of quantum dot TVs - they have been hampered by long-standing uncertainties about their quality. Now, a new measurement technique developed by researchers at Stanford University may finally dissolve those doubts.

North Carolina State University researchers have developed a microfluidic system for synthesizing perovskite quantum dots across the entire spectrum of visible light. The system drastically reduces manufacturing costs, can be tuned on demand to any color and allows for real-time process monitoring to ensure quality control.

At the Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, researchers have realized the swap of electron spins between distant quantum dots. The discovery brings us a step closer to future applications of quantum information, as the tiny dots have to leave enough room on the microchip for delicate control electrodes.

An experiment at GSI simulates how heavy elements capture protons.

Unlike conventional robot arms with their hinged and swivel joints, the flexible arms being developed by Professor Stefan Seelecke and his research group at Saarland University are constructed using muscles made from shape-memory wires that have the ability to bend in almost any direction and to wind themselves around corners. The flexible arms are powered electrically and so can do without the usual pneumatic equipment or other bulky accessories. As the shape-memory alloy itself has sensor properties, the arms can be controlled without the need for additional sensors.

Nitric oxide (NO) is a central molecule of the global nitrogen cycle. A study by Boran Kartal from the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Germany, and colleagues reveals that microorganisms can grow on NO. Their results, which are now published in Nature Communications, change our view of the earth’s nitrogen cycle and how microorganisms regulate the release of greenhouse gases from natural and man-made environments.

The INM – Leibniz Institute for New Materials presents hybrid inks for inkjet printing that contain metal nanoparticles coated with conductive polymers. The inks can be formulated in water and in other polar solvents and are suitable to print conductive structures on a range of substrates without any subsequent thermal or UV treatment. Standard metal inks require annealing after inkjet printing to become conductive. INM’s new inks obviate this step, making them compatible with many substrates including thin polymer foils and paper.

Atrial fibrillation can be correctly detected using commercially available smartwatches. This is the conclusion of a study by researchers of the German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK) at the University Medicine Greifswald and researchers from the Basel University Hospital. In the future, electronic watches could be used to comfortably and regularly monitor the heart rhythm of patients with an increased risk. This tool has the potential to detect atrial fibrillation earlier and thus reduce the risk for a stroke significantly.

A new method to diagnose cancer cells inside lymph nodes could allow doctors to treat cancers before they spread around the body

Insects show a variety of species-specific innate behaviors (instinctive behaviors). For example, a worker honeybee that has found flower nectar exhibits 8-shape waggle-dances upon returning to its beehive. A male moth that has detected a sex pheromone flies around to look for a female counterpart. There remain a number of questions about how a variety of innate behaviors are generated by functions of neural circuits in the insect brain.