https://phys.org/ en-us Latest news from Korea Institute of Science and Technology Over the past decade, fine dust conditions in Korea have worsened, as perceived by the general public, with an increase in the number of days per year featuring high-concentration fine dust. Additionally, the previous maximum fine-dust concentration level has been surpassed. In response, the Korean government has expanded its financial investment in efforts aimed at addressing fine-dust issues. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-korean-nanomaterial-enable-eco-friendly-fine.html Nanomaterials Mon, 20 Nov 2023 12:45:10 EST news619706708 For the first time, a research team in Korea has discovered there is a significant relationship between depression and the taurine concentration in the hippocampus, an area of the brain responsible for memory and learning functions. This discovery provides the opportunity to publicize the role and importance of taurine in future prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of depression. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-11-women-depression-taurine-hippocampus.html Psychology & Psychiatry Tue, 14 Nov 2023 12:43:03 EST news619188181 The Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS, President Hyun-min Park) has developed an electromagnetic wave measurement standard for a candidate frequency band of 6G. https://techxplore.com/news/2023-11-electromagnetic-standard-6g.html Telecom Fri, 10 Nov 2023 10:26:03 EST news618834361 Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI) has developed a world-class "eco-friendly insulating gas" that replaces SF6 (sulfur hexafluoride), the main cause of global warming in the field of electric power equipment, and developed a design technology to make it applicable to ultra-high voltage transmission circuit breakers. https://techxplore.com/news/2023-11-korean-scientists-alternative-technology-sf6.html Energy & Green Tech Mon, 06 Nov 2023 09:33:00 EST news618485577 From kimchi fermented at low temperatures for a long period of time, researchers at the World Institute of Kimchi have isolated lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains with high levels of resistance to phages. They have also identified the defense mechanism of the LAB strains against phages, viruses that infect and replicate within bacteria. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-team-lactic-acid-bacteria-strains.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 01 Nov 2023 16:54:10 EDT news618076448 Impact sounds, such as footsteps or items dropping from neighboring units, are particularly bothersome in apartment complexes. Such noises can invade one's personal space. In newly built apartments, soundproofing structures like floating floors are employed to minimize these disturbances. The choice of materials and structural designs can significantly dampen sounds, resulting in a more peaceful living environment. https://techxplore.com/news/2023-10-discovery-major-factor-deviation-apartment.html Engineering Thu, 26 Oct 2023 16:02:03 EDT news617554921 A joint research team led by Principal Researcher Soongeun Kwon and Professor Young-Jin Kim has developed graphene-based, customized e-textiles, for the first time in the world. They published their findings in ACS Nano in a paper titled, "Multimodal E-Textile Enabled by One-Step Maskless Patterning of Femtosecond-Laser-Induced Graphene on Nonwoven, Knit, and Woven Textiles." https://phys.org/news/2023-10-multimodal-graphene-based-e-textiles-customized.html Nanomaterials Thu, 26 Oct 2023 10:39:02 EDT news617535541 Researchers at the Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology have developed building scan to BIM (Building Information Modeling)-based reverse engineering technology required for 3D geospatial information modeling domains such as digital twin information modeling. https://techxplore.com/news/2023-10-team-scan-to-bim-reverse-3d-vision.html Engineering Mon, 23 Oct 2023 16:18:03 EDT news617296682 Plastic waste breaks down over time into nanoplastics ( https://phys.org/news/2023-10-safely-nanoplastics-prussian-blue-pigment.html Nanomaterials Fri, 20 Oct 2023 11:58:15 EDT news617021892 Proton exchange membrane hydrogen fuel cells (PEMFCs) used in hydrogen vehicles use expensive platinum catalysts to facilitate the oxygen reduction reaction at the anode. There are a vast number of elemental combinations and compositions that need to be explored to develop more efficient and cost-effective catalyst materials than platinum, and researchers are still experiencing much trial and error in the lab. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-ai-hydrogen-fuel-cell-catalysts.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 18 Oct 2023 09:50:03 EDT news616841402 We live in an era of data deluge. The data centers that are operated to store and process this flood of data use a lot of electricity, which has been called a major contributor to environmental pollution. To overcome this situation, polygonal computing systems with lower power consumption and higher computation speed are being researched, but they are not able to handle the huge demand for data processing because they operate with electrical signals, just like conventional binary computing systems. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-ushering-era-light-powered-multi-level-memories.html Condensed Matter Tue, 17 Oct 2023 11:00:02 EDT news616759201 This summer, the planet has been suffering from unprecedented heat waves and heavy rainfalls. Developing renewable energy and expanding associated infrastructure has become an essential survival strategy to ensure the sustainability of the planet in crisis, but it has obvious limitations due to the volatility of electricity production, which relies on uncertain variables like labile weather conditions. https://techxplore.com/news/2023-10-cheaper-safer-alternative-lithium-ion-batteries.html Energy & Green Tech Fri, 13 Oct 2023 09:41:30 EDT news616408888 Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in daily products such as paints, adhesives, furniture, cosmetics, and deodorants make our lives easier. However, constant exposure can cause serious health problems such as respiratory illness, headaches, dermatitis, and cancer. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-technology-customized-air-purification-toxic.html Analytical Chemistry Thu, 12 Oct 2023 09:52:03 EDT news616323121 In 2023, life expectancy in Korea will be 83.6 years, the third highest among OECD countries, and it is steadily increasing every year. As the proportion of the elderly population increases, the social cost of treating various geriatric diseases is also increasing rapidly, and there is a growing interest in early diagnosis of diseases. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-10-geriatric-diseases-glutamine-sensor.html Gerontology & Geriatrics Wed, 11 Oct 2023 09:41:03 EDT news616236061 Utilizing soft, flexible materials such as cloth, paper, and silicone, soft robotic grippers act like a robot's hand to perform functions such as safely grasping and releasing objects. Unlike conventional rigid material grippers, they are more flexible and safe, and are being researched for household robots that handle fragile objects such as eggs, or for logistics robots that need to carry various types of objects. However, its low load capacity makes it difficult to lift heavy objects, and its poor grasping stability makes it easy to lose the object even under mild external impact. https://techxplore.com/news/2023-10-130g-soft-robot-gripper-100kg.html Robotics Fri, 06 Oct 2023 09:40:03 EDT news615804002 A research team led by Dr. Ho Sang Jung of the Department of Nano-Bio Convergence at the Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS), a research institute under the Ministry of Science and ICT, in collaboration with the KOTITI Testing & Research Institute, has developed the world's first technology to rapidly and highly sensitively detect microplastics (MPs), which can cause human and genetic toxicity through environmental pollution and the food chain. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-scientists-microplastics-kit-ai-technology.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 05 Oct 2023 09:57:03 EDT news615718621 According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), global hydrogen demand is expected to reach 530 million tons in 2050, a nearly six-fold increase from 2020. https://techxplore.com/news/2023-10-green-hydrogen.html Energy & Green Tech Wed, 04 Oct 2023 09:57:04 EDT news615632221