Using computational tools, researchers from the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have developed a method to assess which patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer could benefit from immunotherapy.

In a new article published in PLOS Biology, scientists from Stanford University, the University of Plymouth, and Attune Neurosciences have highlighted the potential for ultrasound to treat some of the more complex health conditions affecting the human brain.

University of Missouri researchers have received a nearly $4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to help middle school teachers manage classroom disruptions. Experts from the College of Education and Human Development will provide 110 rural Missouri teachers with free online training and coaching on classroom management using CHAMPS, a commerical training program developed by Safe and Civil Schools. 

Tayia Oddonetto, a doctoral student in environmental science and engineering at The University of Texas at El Paso, developed electrodialysis metathesis, a novel approach to the desalination of brine, or salt, water that can convert over 90% of salt water to fresh water. The research earned Oddonetto first place and funding from the National Science Foundation Engineering Research Centers Perfect Pitch Competition.

As stated by the International Energy Agency (IEA), approximately 50 percent of global final energy consumption is dedicated to heating. Yet, the utilization of solar power in this sector remains relatively low compared to fossil energy sources. An inherent problem limiting the widespread usage of solar energy is the intermittency of its direct availability. A promising solution comes in the form of molecular solar energy storage systems. Conventional thermal energy storage strategies store the energy for short periods, e.g., in the form of hot water. In contrast, molecular solar energy storage systems store solar energy in the form of chemical bonds, allowing it to be preserved for several weeks or even months. These specialized molecules – or photoswitches – absorb solar energy and release it later as heat, on demand. However, a key challenge for current photoswitches is the trade-off between energy storage capacity and efficient absorption of solar light, limiting the overall performance. To overcome this issue, research teams at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) and the University of Siegen present a novel approach in a collaborative study.

University of Texas at Dallas mechanical engineers have designed a 3D-printed femur that could help doctors prepare for surgeries to repair bones and develop treatments for bone tumors.

The engineers, who worked in collaboration with UT Southwestern Medical Center orthopedic surgeons, published their first study on the 3D-printed thigh bone online Aug. 5 in the Journal of Orthopaedic Research.

The study, which focused on the middle section of the bone, establishes 3D-printing parameters for a femur for use in biomechanical testing. Researchers said more studies will be needed before the technology could be available for widespread use.

Earlier this year, researchers at the Flatiron Institute announced that they had successfully used a classical computer and sophisticated mathematical models to outperform a quantum computer at a task that some thought only quantum computers could solve. Now, those researchers have determined why they were able to trounce the quantum computer at its own game.