New Model to Predict Sudden Cardiac Death

                Researchers have developed a sudden cardiac death (SCD) predictive model that can help identify and prevent the disease in individuals at high risk. Researchers developed first predictive tool to assess the future risk of SCD among the general population. The team analyzed data from 18,000 adults without a prior history of cardiovascular disease. Findings suggest that information on age, sex and race along with traditional cardiovascular risk factors such as smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol as well as specific SCD-related predictors and biomarkers can be leveraged to predict the risk of SCD. Not expectedly, researchers found that traditional risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease (smoking, diabetes, and hypertension) predicted sudden cardiac death.

Ultrasound Used to Revive Man in Coma

                In a first, US scientists have used low-intensity ultrasound to jump-start the brain of a 25 year old man recovering from coma. The advance may lead to a portable device that can no invasively “wake up” patients in vegetative state. The technique uses sonic stimulation to excite neurons in the thalamus, the brain’s central hub. Until now, the only way to achieve this was a risky surgical procedure known as deep brain stimulation, in which electrodes are implanted inside the thalamus. Researchers used a device about the size of a coffee cup saucer which creates a small sphere of acoustic energy that can be aimed at different regions of the brain to excite its tissue. They placed it by the side of the man’s head and activated it 10 times for 30 seconds each in a 10-minute period. The device is safe because it emits only a small amount of energy.

Now, a Robot That Needs No Battery

                In a first, scientists have created a 3D-printed, octopus-like robot made of soft components and is powered by chemical reactions instead of rigid batteries and circuit boards. The robot, nicknamed Octobot, could pave the way for soft robotics. Electricity and control systems – such as batteries and circuit boards – are rigid and until now soft-bodied robots have been either tethered to an off-board system or rigged with hard components. Through researchers hybrid assembly approach, they were able to 3D print each of the functional components required within the soft robot body, including the fuel storage, power and actuation, in a rapid manner. Octopuses have long been a source of inspiration in soft robotic as they can perform incredible feats of strength and dexterity with no internal skeleton.

Your e-Car Battery Won't Run Out Even When in the Garage

                In a bid to improve on the miles electric cars give per minute of charge, researchers have designed a thin, plastic membrane that stops rechargeable batteries from discharging when not in use and allows for rapid recharging. The technology, applied for patent, controls how charge flows inside a battery, and was inspired by how cell membranes transport proteins in body. It could be applied in “super-capacitors” for electric cars and even help prevent fires that plague some models of hover-boards, researchers said. Researchers hope the “smart” membrane will enable the development of a new category of fast-charging and powerful batteries called “redox transistor batteries” for automobiles that will travel farther on a single charge.

                The best eco-car makers appear to have a hit a performance limit, and the limit is 0.4 miles-less than half a mile of driving per minute of charging, researchers said. Today’s very best eco-friendly cars can travel around 200 miles after an 8-hour charge, while gas-powered cars can cover the same distance after only minute spent at the pump. Researchers hope their technology can provide up to tens of miles per minute of charge. That is still an order of magnitude away from the equivalent measure in gasoline. Researchers are using their invention to develop a new kind of battery in which energy is stored in a liquid electrolyte, which people can recharge or empty and refill as they would refill a gas tank.