Health
Influenza or a cold? A new technology can help you
Smart gadgets in the home might soon be able to tell you what’s wrong with you. But the technology is good news for a lot of other things too.
Microresonators made of germanium. These might have a bigger impact on your future than you might think.
« Influenza or a cold? A new technology can help you
Newswise — Some people do such smart and difficult things that it’s hard to see what in the world they might have to do with you and me, so we just shrug them off. But that’s often the wrong response.
What if you had a simple gadget at home that could tell you why you’re feeling so lousy?
Our microresonator is about 100 times better than what was available before for the longwave infrared spectrum.
What if this gadget could within short order check whether you have COVID or the flu – or maybe it would even pick up that you have diabetes without knowing it? The device could figure all this out without you having to go to a doctor or a laboratory.
Stores the light better
This technology could become a reality within a few years, and electrical engineers are some of people who make it possible to create such gadgets, which contain a key component called the whispering gallery mode microresonator.
New technology is providing better optical sensors, which are important for electronics, including devices that analyse chemicals using light.
“We’ve built the lowest loss whispering gallery mode microresonator out there for the longwave infrared spectrum. Because the longwave infrared spectrum provides definitive information about chemicals, it provides new possibility for sensing applications,” says Dingding Ren, a researcher at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology’s (NTNU) Department of Electronic Systems.
We’ll talk more about what a microresonator is later in the article. But first back to Ren. He and his colleagues have developed a new whispering gallery mode microresonator – which can store light for certain wavelengths much longer in the resonance.
“Our microresonator is about 100 times better than what was available before for the longwave infrared spectrum,” says Ren.
“It can retain the light 100 times longer than previous versions, which amplifies the optical field inside and makes nonlinear processes much easier, such as frequency comb generation,” he said.
Opens up great opportunities
Storing light waves in the infrared part of the light spectrum more effectively is good news for several types of new technologies, especially for particle sensing and spectroscopic chemical identification that analyse a gas/fluid sample to check for viruses and bacteria and other nasties you might have.
The new microresonator means that scientists can develop broadband frequency combs in the longwave infrared spectrum using these devices. And just what might those be?
Frequency combs are laser lights whose spectrum consists of a series of discrete, equally spaced frequency lines. These can be found various places, such as in your GPS, in atomic clocks and in fibre optic equipment used in telephones and computers. The technology also opens the door to analysing several chemicals at once, if a broadband frequency comb is available at the longwave infrared spectrum.
“The technology is still in its initial stage when it comes to measurements in this the longwave infrared spectrum of light. But our improvement gives us the possibility to identify several different chemicals in real time in the near future,” says Ren.
This kind of spectroscopic machine already exists, like something called a Fourier-transform infrared interferometer, but they are so big and so expensive that only hospitals and big budget institutions can afford them. Other, slightly simpler machines might be able to analyse a few chemicals, but not many at once – unlike what the new technology could make possible.
Ren has worked closely with Professor David Burghoff and his colleagues at the University of Notre Dame in the USA.
“The competition is fierce in this field,” says Ren.
The new microresonator is made using the element germanium. The material may sound exotic, but was used in the world’s first transistor as early as 1947, before silicon took over that market.
We can compare the microresonator to what happens with the sound in the whispering gallery in St. Paul’s Cathedral in London.
Today, germanium is frequently used in optical lenses in sensors and infrared cameras, and it is consequently neither particularly rare nor expensive. These are also advantages when theory is going to be brought to the market.
What are microresonators anyway?
Microresonators, which a type of optical cavities, can store high optical field inside a very small volume. They can be made into a trace or disk geometry, but they usually are at a microscale dimension, similar to the thickness of a hair. Light travels inside the microresonator in circles, so the optical field gets amplified.
“We can compare the microresonator to what happens with the sound in the whispering gallery in St. Paul’s Cathedral in London,” says Ren.
This elliptical gallery has produced a famous phenomenon. You can whisper at one end of it and people at the other end of the room can hear you, even though they wouldn’t normally be to able hear you at that distance. The sound waves are amplified by the shape of the room and the walls, which is how light waves behave in the microresonator. You can read the research article if you want to try to understand this phenomenon better. The link can be found at the bottom of the article.
Funded by Fripro money
Ren is financing the research through a Fripro project grant from the Research Council of Norway, which lasts for three years. Money from Fripro is dedicated to basic research.
“We promised that we would develop a better microresonator, and we’ve succeeded,” Ren said. The research group delivered on its promise.
Stunning work
Bjørn-Ove Fimland and Astrid Aksnes, both professors in NTNU’s Department of Electronic Systems, have provided advice along the way.
“Ren has done excellent work, which is supported by the fact that he’s had an article published in Nature Communications,” says Aksnes.
The fact that we can now measure in the longwave IR range (8-14 µm, or micrometres) of the light spectrum opens up many possibilities in relation to use in imaging and detection, environmental monitoring and biomedical applications, says Aksnes.
“Many molecules have fundamental vibrational bands in the mid-wave IR range (2-20 µm), the so-called ‘molecular fingerprint region’. By measuring in this wave range, we achieve higher sensitivity,” she says.
Reference: Ren, D., Dong, C., Addamane, S.J. et al. High-quality microresonators in the longwave infrared based on native germanium. Nat Commun 13, 5727 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-32706-1
Source: Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)
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Lifestyle
Get chronic UTIs? Future treatments may add more bacteria to your bladder to beat back harmful microbes
Researchers developed a biomaterial releasing beneficial E. coli to combat urinary tract infections by outcompeting harmful bacteria, aiming to reduce antibiotic resistance and manage chronic UTIs effectively.
Sarguru Subash, Texas A&M University
Millions of people in the U.S. and around the world suffer from urinary tract infections every year. Some groups are especially prone to chronic UTIs, including women, older adults and some veterans.
These infections are typically treated with antibiotics, but overusing these drugs can make the microbes they target become resistant and reduce the medicines’ effectiveness.
To solve this problem of chronic UTIs and antibiotic resistance, we combined our expertise in microbiology and engineering to create a living material that houses a specific strain of beneficial E. coli. Our research shows that the “good” bacteria released from this biomaterial can compete with “bad” bacteria for nutrients and win, dramatically reducing the number of disease-causing microbes.
With further development, we believe this technique could help manage recurring UTIs that do not respond to antibiotics.
Bringing bacteria to the bladder
For the microbes living in people, nutrients are limited their presence varies between different parts of the body. Bacteria have to compete with other microbes and the host to acquire essential nutrients. By taking up available nutrients, beneficial bacteria can stop or slow the growth of harmful bacteria. When harmful bacteria are starved of important nutrients, they aren’t able to reach high enough numbers to cause disease.
Delivering beneficial bacteria to the bladder to prevent UTIs in challenging, though. For one, these helpful bacteria can naturally colonize only in people who are unable to fully empty their bladder, a condition called urinary retention. Even among these patients, how long these bacteria can colonize their bladders varies widely.
Current methods to deliver bacteria to the bladder are invasive and require repeated catheter insertion. Even when bacteria are successfully released into the bladder, urine will flush out these microbes because they cannot stick to the bladder wall.
Biomaterials to treat UTIs
Since beneficial bacteria cannot attach to and survive in the bladder for long, we developed a biomaterial that could slowly release bacteria in the bladder over time.
Our biomaterial is composed of living E. coli embedded in a matrix structure made of gel. It resembles a piece of jelly about 500 times smaller than a drop of water and can release bacteria for up to two weeks in the bladder. By delivering the bacteria via biomaterial, we overcome the need for the bacteria to attach to the bladder to persist in the organ.
We tested our biomaterial by placing it in human urine in petri dishes and exposing it to bacterial pathogens that cause UTIs. Our results showed that when mixed in a 50:50 ratio, the E. coli outcompeted the UTI-causing bacteria by increasing to around 85% of the total population. When we added more E. coli than UTI-causing bacteria, which is what we envision for future development and testing, the proportion of E. coli increased to over 99% of the population, essentially wiping out the UTI-causing bacteria. Moreoever, the biomaterial continued releasing E. coli for up to two weeks in human urine.
Our findings suggest that E.coli could stick around and survive in the bladder for extended periods of time and successfully decrease the growth of many types of bacteria that cause UTIs.
Improving biomaterials
Our findings show that E. coli can not only control harmful bacteria it’s closely related to but also a broad range of disease-causing bacteria in humans and animals. This means scientists might not need to identify different types of beneficial bacteria to control each pathogen – and there are many – that can cause a UTI.
Our team is currently evaluating how effectively our biomaterial can cure UTIs in mice. We are also working to identify the specific nutrients that beneficial and harmful bacteria compete over and what factors may help beneficial bacteria win. We could add these nutrients to our biomaterial to be released or withheld.
This research is still at an early stage, and clinical uses are not in development yet, so if it does reach patients it will be well in the future. We hope that our technology could be refined and applied to control other bacterial infections and some cancers caused by bacteria.
Sarguru Subash, Assistant Professor of Veterinary Pathobiology, Texas A&M University
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Our Lifestyle section on STM Daily News is a hub of inspiration and practical information, offering a range of articles that touch on various aspects of daily life. From tips on family finances to guides for maintaining health and wellness, we strive to empower our readers with knowledge and resources to enhance their lifestyles. Whether you’re seeking outdoor activity ideas, fashion trends, or travel recommendations, our lifestyle section has got you covered. Visit us today at https://stmdailynews.com/category/lifestyle/ and embark on a journey of discovery and self-improvement.
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Lifestyle
Does Your Favorite Brand of Dark Chocolate Contain Dangerous Metals?
According to a recent article from Consumer Reports, there are some brands of Dark Chocolate that contain dangerous levels of lead, and cadmium.
Dark Chocolate
According to a recent article from Consumer Reports, there are some brands of Dark Chocolate that contain dangerous levels of lead, and cadmium.
Dark Chocolate has become popular due to studies suggesting that they are rich in antioxidants, which is beneficial to the heart, and it having low sugar properties that positively impact health.
The article, which was posted in mid December, states that 28 popular brands were tested, and that 23 of them contained high levels of the dangerous metals.
For more details, check out the article from Consumer Reports: https://www.consumerreports.org/health/food-safety/lead-and-cadmium-in-dark-chocolate-a8480295550/
STM Daily News is a vibrant news blog dedicated to sharing the brighter side of human experiences. Emphasizing positive, uplifting stories, the site focuses on delivering inspiring, informative, and well-researched content. With a commitment to accurate, fair, and responsible journalism, STM Daily News aims to foster a community of readers passionate about positive change and engaged in meaningful conversations. Join the movement and explore stories that celebrate the positive impacts shaping our world.
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Lifestyle
Healthy Habits for Your Home
If you’re like most Americans, health is an important aspect of your resolutions when each new year rolls around. While factors like diet and exercise are keys to healthy living, so are the ways you care for your home and belongings.
(Family Features) If you’re like most Americans, health is an important aspect of your resolutions when each new year rolls around. While factors like diet and exercise are keys to healthy living, so are the ways you care for your home and belongings.
Good Habits start at Home
Your home living environment plays a major role in your health and comfort, so incorporating some new habits like these from the cleaning experts at Swash Laundry Detergent can help you establish a healthier lifestyle.
Control Air Quality
Especially during the winter months when your home tends to be closed tight, air can grow stale. Do your best to keep air quality strong by opening windows on mild days to circulate fresh air, using an air purifier to remove irritants and pollutants, frequently vacuuming and sweeping to keep floor dust and debris under control and regularly cleaning textiles that can trap allergens and other particles.
Scale Back Detergent Use
Using too much laundry detergent isn’t just risking buildup and unnecessary wear on your washer and dryer; it can also increase the residue and buildup in your clothes, which can lead to skin irritation and damage fabric faster. Using only what you need helps protect your belongings and your skin. An option like Swash Laundry Detergent, which features a Precision Pour Cap, dispenses the detergent for you, so you only pour what you need to effectively clean each load and fight stains. A single bottle of the ultra-concentrated formula – available in Simply Sunrise, Free & Clear and Pure Linen scents – washes up to 83 loads while taking up less space than traditional, bulky detergent bottles.
Make Use of Natural Light
When winter brings day after day of dark, dreary weather, it can take a toll on your mood. Brightening your living space with natural light can positively influence your emotional state while helping with your electric bill. If you’re concerned about privacy, utilize window treatments at night, but let the sunlight bring good cheer to your living spaces during the day.
Switch Bedding on Schedule
While you sleep, your body sheds oils, cells and elements you carry into your home like pollen. Sheets should be washed once a week on the hottest water setting your fabric will tolerate (check tags for laundering directions on your sheets before washing). If your schedule makes weekly washing, drying and remaking the bed unrealistic, consider having a couple sets you can rotate so you always have fresh, clean sheets waiting to remake your bed on laundry day.
Work Up (and Wash Out) a Sweat
The materials that keep you feeling cool and fresh by wicking away sweat can quickly get stinky, but over-washing can make them lose their shape and fade. Even so, washing after every use is a must. Washing workout clothes inside out exposes the surfaces that have absorbed sweat and body oil to detergent and agitation. Be sure to close zippers, buttons, clasps and other fasteners to prevent snags. Pre-soaking with equal parts vinegar and cold water can also help eliminate odors, and washing in a gentle, cold-water cycle and drying on low heat can help protect the fabric’s elasticity and wicking properties.
Start your year off right with more advice for healthy habits around the home at Swash.com.
5 Ideas for an Organized, Intentional Laundry Space
Having an organized and decorated laundry room can ease the weight of your to-do list and the tension you feel from the day-to-day grind. It can also help keep your laundry routine simple, orderly and organized. Consider these tips from the laundry experts at Swash:
1. Think like a minimalist.
Empty your laundry space and sort through what you need and what you don’t. Eliminating the extras leaves room to evaluate your space. Consider whether you could organize differently to make frequently used items more accessible and make the most of your storage space. Cutting down on clutter may even make it possible to incorporate shelves or cabinets that add stylish functionality.
2. Update your space with open shelving.
Open laundry shelves offer a sense of more space, and the horizontal lines can lend a sense of calm. For an easy and attractive upgrade, try hanging 2-3 open shelves within easy reach. If you’re hesitant about the open feel, limit to just one shelf for the everyday necessities and keep the rest of your laundry supplies out of sight in a complementing cabinet. Baskets offer another option for concealing your belongings, whether you use them on the open shelves or inside cabinets to keep things tidy and clutter-free.
3. Create a practical workspace.
Mundane laundry chores like folding can be more enjoyable when you have a comfortable, dedicated space for the job. An open counter or table that folds down from the wall gives you the surface you need to fold clothing within your laundry space without disrupting the rest of the house. Other ways to add practical space include areas for sorting garments that need special attention and a place to hang items that shouldn’t be dried in the dryer.
4. Use colors and materials that evoke calm.
Natural materials and a neutral color palette can lend to a more peaceful space. Lighter neutral colors reduce stress and anxiety, promote relaxation and can even make a space feel more expansive. For a calm, refreshing area, start with a base of white then add natural textures like woven baskets, faux or real plants and marble stone accents in the tile flooring or backsplash. Add a calming color like blue to evoke the tranquility of the sky or ocean, or consider green to incorporate the soothing effects of nature.
5. Invest in products that bring you joy.
Choose quality pieces that aren’t overly trendy and will stand the test of time. Consider how your investment of laundry decor, including your washer and dryer, will serve you in the space in the coming years.
Photo courtesy of Getty Images (woman making bed)
SOURCE:
Swash
Our Lifestyle section on STM Daily News is a hub of inspiration and practical information, offering a range of articles that touch on various aspects of daily life. From tips on family finances to guides for maintaining health and wellness, we strive to empower our readers with knowledge and resources to enhance their lifestyles. Whether you’re seeking outdoor activity ideas, fashion trends, or travel recommendations, our lifestyle section has got you covered. Visit us today at https://stmdailynews.com/category/lifestyle/ and embark on a journey of discovery and self-improvement.
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