Protection from severe malaria explained

ScienceDaily (Nov. 18, 2011) — Why do people with a hereditary mutation of the red blood pigment hemoglobin (as is the case with sickle-cell anemia prevalent in Africa) not contract severe malaria? Scientists in the group headed by Prof. Michael Lanzer of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Heidelberg University Hospital have now solved this mystery.A degradation product of the altered hemoglobin provides protection from severe malaria. Within the red blood cells infected by the malaria parasite,...

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Light created from a vacuum

ScienceDaily (Nov. 18, 2011) — Scientists at Chalmers have succeeded in creating light from vacuum -- observing an effect first predicted over 40 years ago. In an innovative experiment, the scientists have managed to capture some of the photons that are constantly appearing and disappearing in the vacuum.The results have been published in the journal Nature.The experiment is based on one of the most counterintuitive, yet, one of the most important principles in quantum mechanics: that vacuum is...

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A new technique makes it possible to reduce by half the amount of salt in already desalted cod

ScienceDaily (Nov. 18, 2011) — A team of researchers belonging to the Universitat Politècnica de València's CUINA group has achieved a 50% reduction in the amount of salt in already desalted cod, thus obtaining a final product that preserves all its sensory properties and is particularly suitable for persons with hypertension.This research has been published in the Journal of Food Engineering.The key to reducing the amount of salt in cod is to partially replace sodium with potassium after the desalting...

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New tool saves time, reduces risk of mistakes in diabetes care

ScienceDaily (Nov. 18, 2011) — In the fast-paced world of health care, doctors are often pressed for time during patient visits. Researchers at the University of Missouri developed a tool that allows doctors to view electronic information about patients' health conditions related to diabetes on a single computer screen. A new study shows that this tool, the diabetes dashboard, saves time, improves accuracy and enhances patient care.The diabetes dashboard provides information about patients' vital...

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A corny turn for biofuels from switchgrass

ScienceDaily (Nov. 18, 2011) — Many experts believe that advanced biofuels made from cellulosic biomass are the most promising alternative to petroleum-based liquid fuels for a renewable, clean, green, domestic source of transportation energy. Nature, however, does not make it easy. Unlike the starch sugars in grains, the complex polysaccharides in the cellulose of plant cell walls are locked within a tough woody material called lignin. For advanced biofuels to be economically competitive, scientists...

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Boosting LED Efficiency: Zinc Oxide Microwires Improve Performance of Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs) Through the Piezo-Phototronic Effect

ScienceDaily (Oct. 31, 2011) — Researchers have used zinc oxide microwires to significantly improve the efficiency at which gallium nitride light-emitting diodes (LED) convert electricity to ultraviolet light. The devices are believed to be the first LEDs whose performance has been enhanced by the creation of an electrical charge in a piezoelectric material using the piezo-phototronic effect. See Also: Matter & Energy Spintronics Optics Energy Technology Graphene Technology ...

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World's Most Efficient Flexible Organic Light-Emitting Diodes Created On Plastic

Researchers in the University of Toronto's Department of Materials Science & Engineering have developed the world's most efficient organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) on plastic. This result enables a flexible form factor, not to mention a less costly, alternative to traditional OLED manufacturing, which currently relies on rigid glass. See Also: Matter & Energy Chemistry Materials Science Graphene Inorganic Chemistry Optics Electronics Reference Plastic Metallurgy Solar cell Materials...

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