Technology Spain  MADRID 01/02/2018

A study analyzes the potential and the challenges of flexible mechanical metamaterials

Designed to have unusual properties such as being able to change their shape or stiffness

Research into the field of metamaterials, designed to have unusual properties such as being able to change their shape or stiffness, has advanced a great deal during recent years in technologies along with 3D printing, computer simulation, and some conceptual innovations. This subject is gaining so much importance that it was featured on the cover of Nature Reviews Materials, with an article on the challenges facing flexible mechanical metamaterials published by scientists from the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) and the University of Chicago, Harvard University (both in the US) and Leiden University (The Netherlands).

  
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Health Argentina  ARGENTINA 01/02/2018

The science of sleep: a survey to know how Argentines rest

A team of two CONICET researchers is conducting a survey to map the quality of rest in the country

What time is it? The answer to this question does not seem to be so obvious: are we governed by our watches? Maybe the time that is imposed on us has some fragile – and even doubtful – grounds. “Although we should adapt to our geography, the time zone of Argentina is a political decision”, says Diego Golombek at the Laboratorio de Cronobiología [Chronobiology Laboratory] of the Universidad Nacional de Quilmes (UNQ). He is a biologist and a researcher at the National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET). At his lab, which has posters of clocks between the benches used for experiments, he studies the biological rhythms of humans. As part of his work, he’s just launched a national survey to analyze how Argentines sleep. The idea is to obtain useful information that serves as a public tool to debate the time zone in which Argentina should be, among other issues. The scientist explains that this type of changes could improve our sleep, productivity, mood and propensity to get sick.

  
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Social Sciences Chile  CHILE 31/01/2018

Large Magellanic Cloud contains surprisingly complex organic molecules

These observations may provide insights into the formation of similarly complex organic molecules early in the history of the universe

The nearby dwarf galaxy known as the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) is a chemically primitive place. Unlike the Milky Way, this semi-spiral collection of a few tens-of-billions of stars lacks our galaxy’s rich abundance of heavy elements, like carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen. With such a dearth of heavy elements, astronomers predict that the LMC should contain comparatively paltry amounts of complex carbon-based molecules. Previous observations of the LMC seem to support that view.

  
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Science Panama  PANAMÁ 29/01/2018

New fractal-like soft coral species discovered in Panama and Costa Rica

Panama’s Coiba National Park continues to yield new surprises

What animal can live to be thousands of years old, is often mistaken for a plant, tolerates extreme conditions in cold, dark oceans to 3000 meters (almost 10,000 feet) below the surface and may die when it comes into contact with relatives? Scientists at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) named three new species from this group of animals, the octocorals: Adelogorgia hannibalis, A. osculabunda and A. adusta, which they recently named in the journal Zootaxa.

  
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Health Spain  MADRID 23/01/2018

A video database for cellular tracking created, useful in the fight against cancer

The results of this research have been recently presented in the scientific journal 'Nature Methods'

Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M), the University Hospital Gregorio Marañón (HGUGM) and Universidad de Navarra have, together with other international institutions, developed a video database for cellular tracking that can be used to determine alterations involved in illnesses such as cancer.

  
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Environment Argentina  ARGENTINA 22/01/2018

Rainbow trout culture in the context of climate change

CONICET scientists study the adaptation of this species to the increasing temperatures of the water in the north of Patagonia

The Alicura dam –located between the provinces of Neuquén and Río Negro– is the main site for breeding rainbow trouts in Argentina. However, the sustainability of this practice is under risk as climate change led to a steady increase of temperature of their waters in the last years.

  
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Science Chile  CHILE 19/01/2018

Earliest galaxies in the Universe’s history spun like the Milky Way

The results are reported in the journal 'Nature', and will be presented at the 231st meeting of the American Astronomical Society

Astronomers have looked back to a time soon after the Big Bang, and have discovered swirling gas in some of the earliest galaxies to have formed in the Universe. These ‘newborns’ – observed as they appeared nearly 13 billion years ago – spun like a whirlpool, similar to our own Milky Way.

  
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Technology Spain  MADRID 18/01/2018

New power generation and propulsion system for satellites

Researchers at the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) and the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid have designed and patented a new propellantless system

Researchers at the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) and the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid have designed and patented a new propellantless system for satellites that allows generation of electric power and on-board thrust. This innovation, which has led to two national patents, has attracted the interest of the European Space Agency and of the space industry.

  
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Technology Argentina  BUENOS AIRES 10/01/2018

Scientists are concerned about the preservation of a rare spider of the range of Buenos Aires

Its habitat can be threatened by the invasion of exotic species, tourism and agricultural and livestock activities

The “bricklayer spiders” [Calathotarsus simoni] are some of the most enigmatic species of the Argentine fauna: one species was described for the first time in 1975 and they had only been observed occasionally in specific regions of the range system of Ventania and Tandilia, in the province of Buenos Aires. Now, detailed analyses of the habitat of these arachnids suggest that they are exposed to environmental threats that could reduce their population or even affect their survival in the coming years.

  
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Technology Spain  ÁVILA 20/12/2017

A system to detect deformations in state of the art materials

Researchers at the Polytechnic School of Ávila from the University of Salamanca have applied photogrammetry algorithms and computational vision to determine state of the art material's behavior when tested

Researchers at the Polytechnic School of Ávila from the University of Salamanca have developed a new system able to detect deformations in estate of the art materials. By using photogrammetry algorithms and computational vision scientist can identify relevant modifications for objects stability. To test their new methodology they have applied to a Proof of Concept project that focuses on fire extinguishers deformations.

  
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Nutrition Chile  CHILE 19/12/2017

Massive primordial galaxies found swimming in vast ocean of dark matter

The researchers report their findings in the journal 'Nature'

Astronomers expect that the first galaxies, those that formed just a few hundred million years after the Big Bang, would share many similarities with some of the dwarf galaxies we see in the nearby Universe today. These early agglomerations of a few billion stars would then become the building blocks of the larger galaxies that came to dominate the Universe after the first few billion years.

  
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Nutrition Spain  SALAMANCA 13/12/2017

A new catalyst to produce the biodiesel of the future

Researchers at the University of Salamanca test a catalyst to produce biodiesel more efficiently and economically in accordance with the requirements imposed by the regulations for the coming years

Researchers at the University of Salamanca have designed a new type of catalyst to obtain biodiesel. The requirements established by the regulations for coming years make the current biodiesel production processes both expensive and inefficient, while this new proposal has many advantages. Through a proof of concept, scientists are demonstrating that the idea can be developed on an industrial scale.

  
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Nutrition Panama  PANAMÁ 13/12/2017

Sumatran tigers cling to survival in fragmented forests

The study, published in the journal 'Nature Communications', was funded by the National Geographic Society

A research expedition tracked endangered tigers through the Sumatran jungles for a year and found tigers are clinging to survival in low density populations. Their findings have renewed fears about the possible extinction of the elusive predators.

  
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Technology Spain  MADRID 11/12/2017

Artificial Intelligence and accessible theater for the deaf and blind

Researchers at the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) have developed pioneering technology, called Stage-sync, so that people with visual and auditory impairment can enjoy musical stage shows.

This new technology from UC3M’s SoftLab research group has been implemented to give accessibility to the Broadway musical comedy “The Addams Family” at the Teatro Calderón of Madrid. The creative agency C&W, COMUNICAdos and Escena Global also collaborated on the project, which received support from the Consejería de Educación e Innovación (Council for Education and Innovation) of the Autonomous Community of Madrid. Thanks to this project, individuals with visual and auditory impairment have been able to enjoy any of the performances of this musical comedy since the 3rd of December, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. This means that over one million deaf people in Spain can, for the first time in their lives, attend an important, high-quality musical such as this.

  
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Health Argentina  ARGENTINA 11/12/2017

New consortium to work on AIDS-related tumors

Researchers from the Fundación Huésped, and the University of Miami formed an international consortium funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study this subject.

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) under the scope of the NIH has recently announced the granting of a funding program for the international consortium formed by Argentine and USA researchers to study human cancer subjects related to Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS).

  
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Nutrition Spain  SALAMANCA 05/12/2017

Clays to improve industrial waters treatment

Researcher from the University of Salamanca disigne a contaminants adsorbent system to be implemented in pharmaceutical and food industries

Although industries must treat contaminated water before releasing this pollutants to the environment, the current technology does not completely eliminate some substances coming from the pharmaceutical and food industries. Researchers of the University of Salamanca have tested a new system that can be implemented into current WWTP, using clay columns as an adsorption system.

  
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Environment Spain  ESPAÑA 05/12/2017

Europe will need to change its diet to address climate change and health

New report from European science academies calls for urgent action on food and nutrition security

Scientists from national academies across Europe are calling for urgent action on food and nutrition in a new rigorous and independent report published today by the European Academies’ Science Advisory Council (EASAC). This thorough analysis has implications for policy-makers working on food, nutrition, health, the environment, climate change, and agriculture. Combating malnutrition in all its forms – undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies as well as overweight and obesity – is a problem faced by all countries. Research and innovation will be central to finding solutions to these local-global and multidisciplinary, interconnected challenges. Evidence must underpin the policies that deliver Europe’s future approach to these issues. The report recommends being more ambitious in identifying and using scientific opportunities: how the current evidence base can shape understanding of both supply- and demand-side challenges, and how the research agenda should be defined, including basic research, to fill knowledge gaps.

  
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Nutrition Chile  ATACAMA 01/12/2017

ALMA discovers infant stars surprisingly near galaxy’s supermassive black hole

The results are published in the 'Astrophysical Journal Letters'

At the center of our galaxy, in the immediate vicinity of its supermassive black hole, is a region wracked by powerful tidal forces and bathed in intense ultraviolet light and X-ray radiation. These harsh conditions, astronomers surmise, do not favor star formation, especially low-mass stars like our Sun. Surprisingly, new observations from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) suggest otherwise.

  
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Technology Spain  MADRID 01/12/2017

New system uses drones to monitor railroads

This innovation makes it possible to reduce costs and increase the train safety

SigmaRail, a company supported by the Universidad Carlos III Science Park, has created a system that uses drones and a new computer program to make automatic inspections of railroads. This innovation, which geolocates possible incidents on rail corridors, makes it possible to reduce costs and increase the train safety.

  
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Technology Spain  SALAMANCA 30/11/2017

New perforated plate for chemical industries

A research project from the University of Salamanca improves the efficiency of processes such as distillation and absorption in chemical industries

Researchers at the University of Salamanca have developed a new design for perforated plates. Metal plates with holes that are usually integrated in the facilities of various chemical industries specialised in compounds separation processes, such as distillation and absorption. Through a proof of concept, scientists have demonstrated experimentally that the model they propose is more efficient than conventional dishes.

  

 

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