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Augmented reality menus may help restaurants attract more customers, improve brand perceptions (techxplore.com)

Restaurants looking for new ways to engage and inform customers may benefit from incorporating augmented reality (AR) technology into their menus, according to new research from Washington State University. The study, published in the International Journal of Hospitality Management, finds that AR menus can significantly increase customers' interest in visiting a restaurant and may result in more positive word-of-mouth marketing, when compared to printed or QR-code menus.

2026-02-18 20:59:27 +0100
Heart attack study reveals 'survival paradox' (medicalxpress.com)

Research from the University of Leicester and NIHR challenges the "one-size-fits-all" approach to heart attack care, adding critical nuance to the debate on sex disparities. A new study involving more than 900,000 patients has revealed a "sex-frailty paradox" in heart attack outcomes, challenging the prevailing narrative that high clinical risk is predominantly a female issue.

2026-02-18 20:55:55 +0100
Turtles' brains shed light on evolutionary developments dating back hundreds of millions of years (phys.org)

A new study from the School of Neurobiology, Biochemistry, and Biophysics reveals a surprising insight into the operation of the ancestral brain: the visual cortex of turtles is capable of detecting unexpected visual stimuli in a way that is independent of their position on the retina, a property that, until now, was thought to exist only in the highly developed cortices of mammals, including humans. In light of these findings, the research team assesses that advanced brain mechanisms previously thought to be unique to mammals were already present hundreds of millions of years ago.

2026-02-18 20:48:35 +0100
Chiral myosin steers actin into stable rotating rings without a template, study finds (phys.org)

Living cells are highly organized, yet they are not assembled using rigid blueprints or by following a predetermined plan. Instead, order emerges on its own from countless interactions between molecules that are constantly moving and rearranging. One of the most striking examples of this emerging order is the left-right asymmetry.

2026-02-18 20:47:41 +0100
A single sample classifier can predict cancer-associated fibroblast subtypes in patient samples (medicalxpress.com)

In a collaboration between several labs at UNC Lineberger, researchers have defined cancer-associated fibroblast (CAF) subtypes that are clinically robust, prognostic, and predictive of immunotherapy response and developed a clinical classifier designed to distinguish between these subtypes in patients.

2026-02-18 20:42:53 +0100
Trapping a single protein in a molecular cage: A new path to drug discovery for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (phys.org)

Proteins often function in pairs or groups, concealing their internal connection points and making it difficult for scientists to study their individual units without altering their natural structure. In a study published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, researchers successfully isolated single units of the protein SOD1, which is linked to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), by chemically tagging the protein and encapsulating it within tiny, self-assembled artificial cages.

2026-02-18 20:40:19 +0100
A super stable laser on the moon could guide future lunar missions and improve our timekeeping (phys.org)

Scientists are proposing to build a laser in a crater on the moon to help future lunar missions land safely in the dark and find their way around. This ultra-stable light source could also help us keep time more accurately, as they explain in a paper available on the arXiv preprint server.

2026-02-18 20:40:03 +0100
Study splits schizophrenia genetic risk into two pathways, one shared with bipolar disorder (medicalxpress.com)

A new study by researchers at King's College London has split schizophrenia risk into two genetically distinct pathways. One is characterized by a shared genetic risk with bipolar disorder and associated with higher educational attainment, and another is unique to schizophrenia itself, associated with lower educational attainment and poorer cognition.

2026-02-18 20:40:01 +0100
Aggressive oral cancer can be identified at an early stage by changes in lymphatic vessels (medicalxpress.com)

Oral cancers with a high risk of recurrence can be identified at an early stage by examining the lymphatic vessels of the tumor. Finnish researchers have discovered for the first time that the surface cells of the lymphatic vessels in oral cancer contain proteins that indicate cell division and strongly predict disease progression and mortality. The study is published in the Cell Reports Medicine.

2026-02-18 20:34:47 +0100
Prussian-blue based electrode demonstrates high capacity for cesium removal (phys.org)

Radioactive cesium ions, due to their high-water solubility, pose a serious threat to human health and the environment. Conventional adsorbents such as Prussian blue (PB), although effective for cesium removal, often involve complex fabrication and high operational costs.

2026-02-18 20:31:23 +0100
Docetaxel rechallenge linked to longer survival than cabazitaxel, study suggests (medicalxpress.com)

A common clinical question for medical oncologists treating metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer is, should patients who previously received docetaxel and progress on it, reuse docetaxel or switch to cabazitaxel when another taxane is needed? Findings from a new study published in JAMA Network Open give more insight into the question.

2026-02-18 20:20:01 +0100
Rewriting our understanding of early hominin dispersal from Africa to Eurasia (phys.org)

What if Homo erectus (H. erectus), the direct ancestor of modern humans, arrived in China much earlier than we thought? Research published in Science Advances may rewrite our understanding of early human dispersal in that area.

2026-02-18 20:00:09 +0100
3 things to know about cancer and your heart: Expert shares tips to reduce risk (medicalxpress.com)

As cancer therapies improve and increasingly achieve cures or recurring periods of remission, preventing and managing damage to organs from cancer treatment has become a top concern. That includes injury to the heart, says Joerg Herrmann, M.D., a cardiologist and the founder and director of the Cardio-Oncology Clinic at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota.

2026-02-18 19:26:08 +0100
Heads or tails: Does it matter what part of a therapy dog gets patted? (medicalxpress.com)

Is it a scratch behind the ears while staring into those puppy dog eyes, or is it a gentle pat on the back and a wagging tail that makes spending time with a therapy dog so comforting? New research from UBC Okanagan suggests that when it comes to boosting well-being, it does not matter which part of a therapy dog students interact with—just that they do.

2026-02-18 19:20:02 +0100
Prototype 'digital twin' helps better predict groundwater (phys.org)

For his Engineering Doctorate (EngD) program, ITC researcher Rodrigoandrés Morales developed a so-called digital twin: a digital model that analyzes and predicts the groundwater level in Enschede. With these predictions, the system can respond in time to imminent flooding or desiccation. Morales is the first person within the Faculty of ITC to complete an EngD at the University of Twente.

2026-02-18 19:03:04 +0100
New 'Mars GPS' lets Perseverance pinpoint its location within 25 centimeters (phys.org)

Imagine you're all alone, driving along in a rocky, unforgiving desert with no roads, no map, no GPS, and no more than one phone call a day for someone to inform you exactly where you are. That's what NASA's Perseverance rover has been experiencing since landing on Mars five years ago. Though it carries time-tested tools for determining its general location, the rover has needed operators on Earth to tell it precisely where it is—until now.

2026-02-18 19:02:25 +0100
AI and kindness: Are we morally obligated to be kind to Grok? (techxplore.com)

Would you ever kick your Roomba? Or leave a scathing review of the robot at a Thai restaurant who delivered your green curry? What about sending a mean message to ChatGPT?

2026-02-18 19:01:43 +0100
How the humble silkworm could help us discover new anti-aging treatments (phys.org)

When scientists want to study aging and how to slow it down, they often turn to microscopic worms or lab mice among other models. The former are too different from humans, while the latter are expensive and take too long to study. But there's a new model in town that can potentially help us wind the clock back, and that is the silkworm (Bombyx mori).

2026-02-18 19:00:02 +0100
Why coping with heavy rain in Scotland's whisky country shows how to save water for the summer (phys.org)

After weeks of relentless rain and flooding, and even more forecast, 2025's droughts and hosepipe bans feel like ancient history. But they shouldn't.

2026-02-18 18:41:06 +0100
Archaeologists identify elders in Iron Age Israel through household artifacts (phys.org)

A new study from Bar-Ilan University is shedding light on a long-overlooked social group in archaeology: the elderly. While research on women and children has flourished in recent decades, older adults have remained largely invisible, their lives reconstructed primarily through skeletal remains. Now, Bar-Ilan archaeologists present a new and innovative study, identifying the elderly through household artifacts, offering a fresh window into their daily lives and social roles.

2026-02-18 18:37:23 +0100
Machine learning algorithm fully reconstructs LHC particle collisions (phys.org)

The CMS Collaboration has shown, for the first time, that machine learning can be used to fully reconstruct particle collisions at the LHC. This new approach can reconstruct collisions more quickly and precisely than traditional methods, helping physicists better understand LHC data. The paper has been submitted to the European Physical Journal C and is currently available on the arXiv preprint server.

2026-02-18 18:31:30 +0100
Microscopic mirrors for future quantum networks: A new way to make high-performance optical resonators (phys.org)

Researchers in the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) and the Faculty of Arts and Sciences have devised a new way to make some of the smallest, smoothest mirrors ever created for controlling single particles of light, known as photons. These mirrors could play key roles in future quantum computers, quantum networks, integrated lasers, environmental sensing equipment, and more.

2026-02-18 18:27:46 +0100
CEOs who experience natural disasters are more likely to lead safer workplaces (phys.org)

Every year, millions of workers are injured or die on the job, imposing enormous human and economic costs. The socio-economic impact of workplace safety is hard to avoid and presents governments and organizations with a major challenge.

2026-02-18 18:25:27 +0100
Aortic stenosis: 200 newly identified genes raise hope for future treatments (medicalxpress.com)

A new study on aortic stenosis, the most common form of heart valve disease, has identified more than 200 new genes that predispose individuals to this condition, for which no treatment currently exists. The discovery of these genes, some of which are also associated with faster disease progression, could make it possible to identify individuals at high risk of developing the disease, with a view to offering them earlier intervention. It also opens new avenues into treatments aiming to slow or stop the progression of the disease.

2026-02-18 18:24:47 +0100
Safer railroads through ultrasound: Beamforming algorithms can improve track safety inspections (techxplore.com)

Advances in ultrasound—the same imaging technology that uses sound waves to allow doctors to monitor babies in utero—are being applied by engineers at the University of California San Diego to make railroad track inspection more effective. Ensuring the safety of the vast 140,000-mile network of existing rail infrastructure in the United States is critical, especially as that figure grows with the addition of new high-speed passenger rail lines.

2026-02-18 18:23:19 +0100
AI-powered ECG could help guide lifelong heart monitoring for patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot (medicalxpress.com)

Researchers at the Mount Sinai Kravis Children's Heart Center led a multicenter effort to develop and validate an artificial intelligence (AI) tool that can analyze a standard electrocardiogram (ECG) to identify patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot who may be at risk for harmful heart changes typically detected by cardiac MRI. The study, supported by the National Institutes of Health, is published in the European Heart Journal: Digital Health.

2026-02-18 18:19:46 +0100
Corals in extreme coastal bays show greater resilience to climate stress (phys.org)

Corals living in coastal bays with strongly fluctuating temperatures and environmental conditions are better able to withstand heat and other stressors than their counterparts on more stable reefs. This is shown by research conducted by marine biologist Sarah Solomon, whose thesis offers valuable insights into the mechanisms and trade-offs associated with the resilience of coral reefs in a rapidly changing climate. She will defend her Ph.D. thesis on Thursday, February 19, at the University of Amsterdam.

2026-02-18 18:12:00 +0100
'Game-changer' jab for opioid dependency treatment linked to lower NHS demand, report suggests (medicalxpress.com)

A "game-changer" jab to treat opioid dependence could ease pressure on health care services, outperforming other standard treatments, a new report involving University of Hertfordshire academics suggests. But the injection, known as Buvidal, should be offered as part of a wider, person-centered treatment system, integrated with psychological support and meaningful social activities, rather than positioned as a standalone solution, authors of the report recommend.

2026-02-18 18:08:37 +0100
New study analyzes the lived experiences of acid attack survivors for better rehabilitation (medicalxpress.com)

Researchers from The George Institute for Global Health India, in partnership with the Chhanv Foundation, have examined the lived realities of acid attack survivors in India, focusing on the stigma they face in daily life and the strategies used to cope with it. Their study is published in the journal BMJ Public Health.

2026-02-18 18:07:30 +0100
Developing lab-grown human cartilage using apples (medicalxpress.com)

A research lab at the University of Caen Normandy (France) has succeeded in making cartilage using decellularized apples.

2026-02-18 18:04:49 +0100
How sailing voyages can inspire the next generation of ocean scientists and advocates (phys.org)

Setting sail from the busy port of Plymouth in Devon, the tall ship Pelican of London takes young people to sea, often for the first time.

2026-02-18 18:03:32 +0100
Mask-wearing during COVID-19 linked to reduced air pollution-triggered heart attack risk in Japan (medicalxpress.com)

Researchers at Kumamoto University have discovered that behavioral changes during the COVID-19 pandemic—particularly widespread mask-wearing—may have reduced the risk of certain types of heart attacks triggered by air pollution.

2026-02-18 17:56:37 +0100
Machine-learned biomarker identifies those at high risk for liver cancer (medicalxpress.com)

Researchers led by Xian-Yang Qin at the RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences (IMS) in Japan have developed a score that predicts the risk of liver cancer. Published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the study establishes that the protein MYCN drives liver tumorigenesis, specifically of the type of tumors found in the deadliest subtype of liver cancer.

2026-02-18 17:54:41 +0100
Our brains may learn more from rare events than from repetition (medicalxpress.com)

More than a century ago, Pavlov trained his dog to associate the sound of a bell with food. Ever since, scientists have assumed the dog learned this through repetition. The more times the dog heard the bell and then got fed, the better it learned that the sound meant food would soon follow.

2026-02-18 17:49:32 +0100
3D printing platform rapidly produces complex electric machines (techxplore.com)

A broken motor in an automated machine can bring production on a busy factory floor to a halt. If engineers can't find a replacement part, they may have to order one from a distributor hundreds of miles away, leading to costly production delays. It would be easier, faster, and cheaper to make a new motor onsite, but fabricating electric machines typically requires specialized equipment and complicated processes, which restricts production to a few manufacturing centers.

2026-02-18 17:44:26 +0100
KRAS mutation type may guide more effective cancer treatments (medicalxpress.com)

KRAS is the most frequently mutated oncogene across all human cancers. Although different KRAS mutations have long been thought to exert the same cancer-driving effects, a new study led by UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers suggests that different KRAS mutation types can variously impact how cancer cells interact with immune cells, significantly affecting the malignant cells' behavior. The findings, published in Science Translational Medicine, could lead to personalized therapies based on the KRAS mutation type.

2026-02-18 17:38:56 +0100
Vaccine shows protection against severe childhood diarrhea (medicalxpress.com)

Each year, tens of thousands of children under 5 die from diarrheal disease caused by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC), primarily in low-income countries. A new ETEC vaccine has shown promising results in reducing the risk of severe illness. The study was conducted in The Gambia in collaboration with the University of Gothenburg.

2026-02-18 17:20:04 +0100
New polymer alloy could solve energy storage challenge (techxplore.com)

In the race for lighter, safer and more efficient electronics—from electric vehicles to transcontinental energy grids—one component literally holds the power: the polymer capacitor. Seen in such applications as medical defibrillators, polymer capacitors are responsible for quick bursts of energy and stabilizing power rather than holding large amounts of energy, as opposed to the slower, steadier energy of a battery.

2026-02-18 17:00:35 +0100
What if we could catch disease earlier—before symptoms start? (medicalxpress.com)

Most chronic diseases don't begin with obvious symptoms or dramatic warning signs. Instead, they develop quietly over many years, as small changes accumulate in the body. A new perspective from researchers at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging notes that modern medicine often waits until disease is well underway and argues that new technologies could help detect risk much earlier, when prevention may be most effective.

2026-02-18 17:00:32 +0100
Mapping protein production in brain cells yields new insights for brain disease (medicalxpress.com)

The brain's ability to do everything from forming memories to coordinating movement relies on its cells producing the right proteins at the right time. But directly measuring this protein production, known as translation, across different types of brain cells has been a challenge.

2026-02-18 17:00:24 +0100
Safer batteries for storing energy at massive scale: A new electrolyte with proton-hopping conductivity (techxplore.com)

Among the enduring challenges of storing energy—for wind or solar farms, or backup storage for the energy grid or data centers—is batteries that can hold large amounts of electricity for a long time. In addition to having a large capacity—potentially enough to power a neighborhood or small city for days or weeks—ideally, these batteries would be safe, affordable and environmentally harmless. With an eye toward meeting those benchmarks, researchers at Case Western Reserve University are developing novel electrolytes—fluids that can conduct ions—for rechargeable flow batteries.

2026-02-18 15:10:36 +0100
New tech and AI set to take athlete data business to next level (techxplore.com)

From tracking the trajectory and speed of a footballer's strike to monitoring a Tour de France rider's real-time power output, performance athlete data is deepening its reach in sports, with specialized firms eyeing to score big business.

2026-02-18 13:00:03 +0100
Junk to high-tech: India bets on e-waste for critical minerals (techxplore.com)

Hundreds of discarded batteries rattle along a conveyor belt into a crusher in a remote plant in northern India, fueling a multi-billion-dollar industry that is bolstering the country's geopolitical ambitions.

2026-02-18 11:50:02 +0100
From automated farm tractors to exam paper grading, AI boosts efficiency for some in India (techxplore.com)

Farmer Bir Virk tapped the iPad mounted beside his tractor's steering wheel and switched the vehicle to automatic mode. The machine moved forward and began harvesting potatoes on its own in the fields of Karnal, a city in northern India.

2026-02-18 11:20:01 +0100
US tech giants announce India deals at AI summit (techxplore.com)

Google said it would build new subsea cables from India and chip titan Nvidia unveiled tie-ups with computing firms on Wednesday as tech giants rushed to announce deals and investments at a global AI conference in New Delhi.

2026-02-18 11:00:11 +0100
Repairable infrared lens can cut costs and bring thermal imaging to more devices (techxplore.com)

The days of dropping a thermal imaging camera and replacing an expensive lens are coming to an end with a new repairable lens developed by Flinders University scientists. The high-performance lens for infrared cameras invented by Flinders researchers is emerging as a lower cost, more sustainable option for industries which use thermal imaging cameras, including security and surveillance, medicine, electrical engineering, electronics, defense and autonomous vehicle operation.

2026-02-18 11:00:02 +0100
YouTube says brief outage fixed (techxplore.com)

YouTube said late Tuesday it had fixed a widespread outage that hit hundreds of thousands of users around the world.

2026-02-18 10:31:58 +0100
California regulators decide not to suspend Tesla sales in the state (techxplore.com)

California regulators said on Tuesday that Tesla had stopped misleading drivers about the safety of its cars and so has decided not to suspend its license to sell in the state for 30 days.

2026-02-18 10:23:57 +0100
How can you rescue a 'kidnapped' robot? New AI system helps robots regain their sense of location (techxplore.com)

Mobile robots must continuously estimate their position to navigate autonomously. However, satellite-based navigation systems are not always reliable: signals may degrade near buildings or become unavailable indoors. To operate safely and efficiently, robots must interpret their surroundings using onboard sensors and robust localization algorithms.

2026-02-18 10:00:01 +0100
Operando X-rays reveal key aging process in sodium-zinc molten salt batteries (techxplore.com)

Up to now, it has only been possible to deduce indirectly why high-temperature batteries lose efficiency and durability while in use. For the first time, a team from the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) has now used operando X-ray radiography to look directly into a sodium-zinc molten salt battery at approximately 600 degrees Celsius.

2026-02-18 00:50:06 +0100
New electrolyzer turns plastic-waste syngas into ethylene with less energy (techxplore.com)

For every ton of ethylene created, one ton of carbon dioxide is produced. With more than 300 million tons of ethylene produced each year, the production system has a huge carbon footprint that scientists and engineers are eager to reduce and eventually eliminate. A new device developed in Ted Sargent's lab at Northwestern takes a step toward breaking that cycle.

2026-02-17 23:03:40 +0100
Demonstration of mass connectivity for the 6G era (techxplore.com)

The National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) has developed a hybrid signal processing method that integrates an annealing-based quantum computer with classical computing for next-generation mobile communication systems. By implementing this method into a base station, simultaneous communications with 10 devices were successfully demonstrated through outdoor experiments, addressing the massive connectivity requirements anticipated for the 6G era.

2026-02-17 22:30:02 +0100
THz band testbed successfully transmits under 1,000 km/h high-mobility emulation (techxplore.com)

The fifth-generation mobile communication system, also known as 5G, is expected to evolve as a critical infrastructure supporting individual users, industrial applications, and social systems. This requires access to broader frequency resources, but concerns have emerged regarding future congestion even in the existing frequency bands, creating a strong need to explore new spectrum resources and progress to 6G.

2026-02-17 22:27:28 +0100
Can AI build a machine that draws a heart? What automated mechanism design could mean for mechanical engineering (techxplore.com)

Can you design a mechanism that will trace out the shape of a heart? How about the shape of a moon, or a star? Mechanism design—the art of assembling linkages and joints to create machines with prescribed motion—is one of the quintessential activities of mechanical engineers, but has resisted automation for almost two centuries.

2026-02-17 21:37:28 +0100
Advanced security technology is rarely used—research offers a solution (techxplore.com)

Modern and powerful security technology that protects against hacking attempts is used to a very limited extent—despite having been available to developers for more than a decade. Researchers at Umeå University can now reveal why the technology fails to take hold. "At the same time, we present an automated solution that makes it easy to adopt the technology," says Sabine Houy, doctoral student at the Department of Computing Science, who is now defending her thesis.

2026-02-17 21:30:01 +0100
Magnetic gear reconfigures the Yagi-Uda antenna for future 6G developments (techxplore.com)

As researchers around the world race toward the realization of 6G wireless communication systems, the need for antennas that can dynamically adapt to ever-changing signal environments has never been greater. A key requirement of 6G is intelligent beam control, which enables signals to be steered, shaped, and optimized in real time to support ultra-high data rates, low latency, and massive device connectivity.

2026-02-17 20:38:29 +0100
Compressorless hydrogen turbine runs 303 seconds, beating NASA's 250-second record (techxplore.com)

Researchers at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have set a record runtime with a new compressorless gas turbine. The burner, featuring a revolutionary pressure-gain combustion technology, operated for 303 seconds. This achievement not only exceeds NASA's previous record of 250 seconds but also sets new standards for the use of hydrogen in energy supply, which—unlike natural gas—can be produced using renewable energy sources.