Researchers at the Joint Quantum Institute have implemented an experimental test for quantum scrambling, a chaotic shuffling of the information stored among a collection of quantum particles.Their experiments on a group of seven atomic ions demons...
Mar 6, 2019
Nanoparticles can be as small as ten atoms in diameter, and their small size makes them especially susceptible to coarsening with continued use, which reduces functionality and degrades performance. A new NSF Grant will advance the understanding o...
Mar 5, 2019
Although it's important to get vaccines to people in developing nations and elsewhere, it's also crucial that those medications subsequently be administered in a safe and sterile manner. A new microneedle patch could help, as it incorporates bacteria-killing silver.
Microneedle patches, which we've seen before in recent years, have some key advantages over hypodermic injections – among these are the facts that they're painless, they don't need to be refrigerated, and they don't result in hazardous "sharps" waste.
Each patch consists of a small square of material that has an array of tiny medication-containing needles on its underside. When the patch is applied to the patient like a band-aid, those microneedles pierce only the top layer of skin, not reaching any of the underlying nerves. The needles then harmlessly dissolve, releasing the medication into the bloodstream.
Developed by scientists at the University of South Australia, the new patch features a 15 x 15 array of microneedles, each one just 700 microns in length. Loaded with both a vaccine and silver nanoparticles, those needles are made of a biocompatible water-soluble polymer (carboxymethylcellulose), which completely dissolves within one minute of application. As a result, the medication is delivered, and bacteria in that area of the skin are eradicated.
In lab tests, the patch was found to kill off skin-infection-causing bacteria such as staphylococcus epidermis, escherichia coli and pseudomonas aeruginosa. The area of application subsequently remained bacteria-free for 24 hours.
"Infection from unsafe injection practices occurs all over the world, so technologies that protect people from unnecessary infection are critical," says lead scientist Prof. Krasimir Vasilev. "The dissolvable feature of our silver-loaded microneedles ensures absolutely no risk of reuse, removing one of the greatest causes of infection. And by incorporating the antibacterial silver nanoparticles into the dissolvable microneedles, we've created a very promising vehicle for safe vaccine and drug delivery around the world."
A paper on the research was recently published in the journal Chemical Communications.
Source: University of South Australia
Although it's important to get vaccines to people in developing nations and elsewhere, it's also crucial that those medications subsequently be administered in a safe and sterile manner. A new microneedle patch could help, as it incorporates bacteria-killing silver.
Microneedle patches, which we've seen before in recent years, have some key advantages over hypodermic injections – among these are the facts that they're painless, they don't need to be refrigerated, and they don't result in hazardous "sharps" waste.
Each patch consists of a small square of material that has an array of tiny medication-containing needles on its underside. When the patch is applied to the patient like a band-aid, those microneedles pierce only the top layer of skin, not reaching any of the underlying nerves. The needles then harmlessly dissolve, releasing the medication into the bloodstream.
Developed by scientists at the University of South Australia, the new patch features a 15 x 15 array of microneedles, each one just 700 microns in length. Loaded with both a vaccine and silver nanoparticles, those needles are made of a biocompatible water-soluble polymer (carboxymethylcellulose), which completely dissolves within one minute of application. As a result, the medication is delivered, and bacteria in that area of the skin are eradicated.
In lab tests, the patch was found to kill off skin-infection-causing bacteria such as staphylococcus epidermis, escherichia coli and pseudomonas aeruginosa. The area of application subsequently remained bacteria-free for 24 hours.
"Infection from unsafe injection practices occurs all over the world, so technologies that protect people from unnecessary infection are critical," says lead scientist Prof. Krasimir Vasilev. "The dissolvable feature of our silver-loaded microneedles ensures absolutely no risk of reuse, removing one of the greatest causes of infection. And by incorporating the antibacterial silver nanoparticles into the dissolvable microneedles, we've created a very promising vehicle for safe vaccine and drug delivery around the world."
A paper on the research was recently published in the journal Chemical Communications.
Source: University of South Australia
Although it's important to get vaccines to people in developing nations and elsewhere, it's also crucial that those medications subsequently be administered in a safe and sterile manner. A new microneedle patch could help, as it incorporates bacteria-killing silver.
Microneedle patches, which we've seen before in recent years, have some key advantages over hypodermic injections – among these are the facts that they're painless, they don't need to be refrigerated, and they don't result in hazardous "sharps" waste.
Each patch consists of a small square of material that has an array of tiny medication-containing needles on its underside. When the patch is applied to the patient like a band-aid, those microneedles pierce only the top layer of skin, not reaching any of the underlying nerves. The needles then harmlessly dissolve, releasing the medication into the bloodstream.
Developed by scientists at the University of South Australia, the new patch features a 15 x 15 array of microneedles, each one just 700 microns in length. Loaded with both a vaccine and silver nanoparticles, those needles are made of a biocompatible water-soluble polymer (carboxymethylcellulose), which completely dissolves within one minute of application. As a result, the medication is delivered, and bacteria in that area of the skin are eradicated.
In lab tests, the patch was found to kill off skin-infection-causing bacteria such as staphylococcus epidermis, escherichia coli and pseudomonas aeruginosa. The area of application subsequently remained bacteria-free for 24 hours.
"Infection from unsafe injection practices occurs all over the world, so technologies that protect people from unnecessary infection are critical," says lead scientist Prof. Krasimir Vasilev. "The dissolvable feature of our silver-loaded microneedles ensures absolutely no risk of reuse, removing one of the greatest causes of infection. And by incorporating the antibacterial silver nanoparticles into the dissolvable microneedles, we've created a very promising vehicle for safe vaccine and drug delivery around the world."
A paper on the research was recently published in the journal Chemical Communications.
Source: University of South Australia
Although it's important to get vaccines to people in developing nations and elsewhere, it's also crucial that those medications subsequently be administered in a safe and sterile manner. A new microneedle patch could help, as it incorporates bacteria-killing silver.
Microneedle patches, which we've seen before in recent years, have some key advantages over hypodermic injections – among these are the facts that they're painless, they don't need to be refrigerated, and they don't result in hazardous "sharps" waste.
Each patch consists of a small square of material that has an array of tiny medication-containing needles on its underside. When the patch is applied to the patient like a band-aid, those microneedles pierce only the top layer of skin, not reaching any of the underlying nerves. The needles then harmlessly dissolve, releasing the medication into the bloodstream.
Developed by scientists at the University of South Australia, the new patch features a 15 x 15 array of microneedles, each one just 700 microns in length. Loaded with both a vaccine and silver nanoparticles, those needles are made of a biocompatible water-soluble polymer (carboxymethylcellulose), which completely dissolves within one minute of application. As a result, the medication is delivered, and bacteria in that area of the skin are eradicated.
In lab tests, the patch was found to kill off skin-infection-causing bacteria such as staphylococcus epidermis, escherichia coli and pseudomonas aeruginosa. The area of application subsequently remained bacteria-free for 24 hours.
"Infection from unsafe injection practices occurs all over the world, so technologies that protect people from unnecessary infection are critical," says lead scientist Prof. Krasimir Vasilev. "The dissolvable feature of our silver-loaded microneedles ensures absolutely no risk of reuse, removing one of the greatest causes of infection. And by incorporating the antibacterial silver nanoparticles into the dissolvable microneedles, we've created a very promising vehicle for safe vaccine and drug delivery around the world."
A paper on the research was recently published in the journal Chemical Communications.
Source: University of South Australia
Although it's important to get vaccines to people in developing nations and elsewhere, it's also crucial that those medications subsequently be administered in a safe and sterile manner. A new microneedle patch could help, as it ...
Mar 5, 2019
IBM has published a roadmap for improving quantum computers based upon a “quantum volume” metric. IBM defined quantum volume in 2017. A quantum computer’s performance depends on many factors that can make assessing its power challenging. These fac...
Mar 5, 2019
A new coating prevents fogging on transparent surfaces. Rather than using electricity, the coating relies on sunlight to heat the surface.
Mar 5, 2019
Researchers at the University of Waterloo’s Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC) have developed a new quantum sensor that could mean a significant advancement in 3D imaging and monitoring for cancer patients.
Mar 5, 2019
It’s promoting a yardstick called “quantum volume,” which it claims is doubling every year—an equivalent to Moore's Law in conventional computing.
Just chuck more qubits at it: Quantum machines rely on quantum bits, or qubits, to manipulate data. But just adding more qubits might not boost a machine’s performance. That’s because their fragile quantum state can be disrupted by even the tiniest vibrations or changes in temperature—a phenomenon known as “noise.” This causes errors to creep into calculations. (See our explainer here for more background on how quantum computers work.)
A new Moore’s Law?: IBM has proposed quantum volume as a more appropriate single measure of progress. This still counts qubits, but also incorporates things like error rates and the quality of connectivity between qubits.
At this week’s meeting of the American Physical Society, IBM is unveiling results that show quantum volume on its machines doubled from 4 in 2017 to 8 in 2018. The company says its recently unveiled Q System One machine has a volume of 16.
So far, this is developing much as Moore’s Law has done for conventional computing. Moore’s Law holds that the number of transistors that can be packed onto a silicon microchip doubles roughly every two years (although there are signs things are slowing down).
Quantum PR volume: IBM is a leader in quantum computing and was the first to make its machines available via the computing cloud for others to use. But it faces stiff competition from rivals like Rigetti Computing and Intel.
Working out the best way to compare these quantum computers is important, but each company is bound to promote yardsticks that favor its own hardware and software. So here’s another quantum Moore’s Law prediction: the volume of PR devoted to promoting quantum yardsticks is going to double—and perhaps even quadruple—every year...
Sign up here to our daily newsletter The Download to get your dose of the latest must-read news from the world of emerging tech.
It’s promoting a yardstick called “quantum volume,” which it claims is doubling every year—an equivalent to Moore's Law in conventional computing.
Just chuck more qubits at it: Quantum machines rely on quantum bits, or qubits, to manipulate data. But just adding more qubits might not boost a machine’s performance. That’s because their fragile quantum state can be disrupted by even the tiniest vibrations or changes in temperature—a phenomenon known as “noise.” This causes errors to creep into calculations. (See our explainer here for more background on how quantum computers work.)
A new Moore’s Law?: IBM has proposed quantum volume as a more appropriate single measure of progress. This still counts qubits, but also incorporates things like error rates and the quality of connectivity between qubits.
At this week’s meeting of the American Physical Society, IBM is unveiling results that show quantum volume on its machines doubled from 4 in 2017 to 8 in 2018. The company says its recently unveiled Q System One machine has a volume of 16.
So far, this is developing much as Moore’s Law has done for conventional computing. Moore’s Law holds that the number of transistors that can be packed onto a silicon microchip doubles roughly every two years (although there are signs things are slowing down).
Quantum PR volume: IBM is a leader in quantum computing and was the first to make its machines available via the computing cloud for others to use. But it faces stiff competition from rivals like Rigetti Computing and Intel.
Working out the best way to compare these quantum computers is important, but each company is bound to promote yardsticks that favor its own hardware and software. So here’s another quantum Moore’s Law prediction: the volume of PR devoted to promoting quantum yardsticks is going to double—and perhaps even quadruple—every year...
Sign up here to our daily newsletter The Download to get your dose of the latest must-read news from the world of emerging tech.
It’s promoting a yardstick called “quantum volume,” which it claims is doubling every year—an equivalent to Moore's Law in conventional computing.
Just chuck more qubits at it: Quantum machines rely on quantum bits, or qubits, to manipulate data. But just adding more qubits might not boost a machine’s performance. That’s because their fragile quantum state can be disrupted by even the tiniest vibrations or changes in temperature—a phenomenon known as “noise.” This causes errors to creep into calculations. (See our explainer here for more background on how quantum computers work.)
A new Moore’s Law?: IBM has proposed quantum volume as a more appropriate single measure of progress. This still counts qubits, but also incorporates things like error rates and the quality of connectivity between qubits.
At this week’s meeting of the American Physical Society, IBM is unveiling results that show quantum volume on its machines doubled from 4 in 2017 to 8 in 2018. The company says its recently unveiled Q System One machine has a volume of 16.
So far, this is developing much as Moore’s Law has done for conventional computing. Moore’s Law holds that the number of transistors that can be packed onto a silicon microchip doubles roughly every two years (although there are signs things are slowing down).
Quantum PR volume: IBM is a leader in quantum computing and was the first to make its machines available via the computing cloud for others to use. But it faces stiff competition from rivals like Rigetti Computing and Intel.
Working out the best way to compare these quantum computers is important, but each company is bound to promote yardsticks that favor its own hardware and software. So here’s another quantum Moore’s Law prediction: the volume of PR devoted to promoting quantum yardsticks is going to double—and perhaps even quadruple—every year...
Sign up here to our daily newsletter The Download to get your dose of the latest must-read news from the world of emerging tech.
It’s promoting a yardstick called “quantum volume,” which it claims is doubling every year—an equivalent to Moore's Law in conventional computing.
Just chuck more qubits at it: Quantum machines rely on quantum bits, or qubits, to manipulate data. But just adding more qubits might not boost a machine’s performance. That’s because their fragile quantum state can be disrupted by even the tiniest vibrations or changes in temperature—a phenomenon known as “noise.” This causes errors to creep into calculations. (See our explainer here for more background on how quantum computers work.)
A new Moore’s Law?: IBM has proposed quantum volume as a more appropriate single measure of progress. This still counts qubits, but also incorporates things like error rates and the quality of connectivity between qubits.
At this week’s meeting of the American Physical Society, IBM is unveiling results that show quantum volume on its machines doubled from 4 in 2017 to 8 in 2018. The company says its recently unveiled Q System One machine has a volume of 16.
So far, this is developing much as Moore’s Law has done for conventional computing. Moore’s Law holds that the number of transistors that can be packed onto a silicon microchip doubles roughly every two years (although there are signs things are slowing down).
Quantum PR volume: IBM is a leader in quantum computing and was the first to make its machines available via the computing cloud for others to use. But it faces stiff competition from rivals like Rigetti Computing and Intel.
Working out the best way to compare these quantum computers is important, but each company is bound to promote yardsticks that favor its own hardware and software. So here’s another quantum Moore’s Law prediction: the volume of PR devoted to promoting quantum yardsticks is going to double—and perhaps even quadruple—every year...
Sign up here to our daily newsletter The Download to get your dose of the latest must-read news from the world of emerging tech.
Mar 5, 2019
Researchers have created a new device that allows them to probe the interference of quasiparticles, potentially paving the way for the development of topological qubits.
Mar 5, 2019
A new coating prevents fogging on transparent surfaces. Rather than using electricity, the coating relies on sunlight to heat the surface.
Mar 5, 2019
Scientists have developed a user-friendly approach to creating 'theranostics' -- therapy combined with diagnostics -- that target specific tumors and diseases. They have developed a novel method to prepare cell-penetrating nanoparticles ...
Mar 5, 2019
