New Silicon Memory Chip Developed
The first purely silicon oxide-based ‘Resistive RAM’ memory chip that can operate in ambient conditions– opening up the possibility of new super-fast memory – has been developed by researchers at UCL. (more…)
Author Archives: Guest Post
Want to Avoid ED Following Prostate Surgery? Find an Experienced, Gentle Surgeon
UCLA study quantifies learning curve for robotic-assisted surgery
Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed non-skin cancer in the U.S., and radical prostatectomy, the surgical removal of the prostate gland, remains the most popular therapeutic option, accounting for half of treatments. (more…)
Yahoo! and Alibaba Reach Agreement on Comprehensive Plan for Alibaba Stake
Agreement Realizes Significant Value, Immediate Liquidity and Path to Future Monetization
Yahoo! Board Increases Share Repurchase Plan by US$5 Billion
SUNNYVALE, Calif. & HANGZHOU, China — Yahoo! Inc. and Alibaba Group Holding Limited today announced they have entered into a definitive agreement for a staged and comprehensive value realization plan for Yahoo!’s stake in Alibaba.
The first step is the repurchase by Alibaba of up to one-half of Yahoo!’s stake, or approximately 20% of Alibaba’s fully-diluted shares. The purchase price will be based on a valuation of Alibaba to be established through equity financings that Alibaba intends to undertake to finance the transaction, subject to a floor valuation of approximately US$35 billion. The agreement includes substantial financial incentives for Alibaba to raise the additional equity at a valuation higher than US$35 billion. At the minimum price and assuming the initial repurchase of the full 20% stake, Yahoo! would receive from Alibaba consideration of approximately US$7.1 billion, composed of at least US$6.3 billion in cash proceeds and up to US$800 million in newly-issued Alibaba preferred stock. (more…)
Clergy can fight HIV on faith-friendly terms
In the United States, where blacks bear a disproportionate burden of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, black religious institutions could help turn the tide. In a new study in PLoS ONE based on dozens of interviews and focus groups with 38 of Philadelphia’s most influential black clergy, physicians and public health researchers find that traditional barriers to preaching about HIV prevention could give way to faith-friendly messages about getting tested and staying on treatment.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — The public health community has long struggled with how best to reduce HIV infection rates among black Americans, which is seven times that of whites. In a new paper in the journal PLoS ONE, a team of physicians and public health researchers report that African-American clergy say they are ready to join the fight against the disease by focusing on HIV testing, treatment, and social justice, a strategy that is compatible with religious teaching. (more…)
Statistical Analysis Projects Future Temperatures in North America
COLUMBUS, Ohio – For the first time, researchers have been able to combine different climate models using spatial statistics – to project future seasonal temperature changes in regions across North America.
They performed advanced statistical analysis on two different North American regional climate models and were able to estimate projections of temperature changes for the years 2041 to 2070, as well as the certainty of those projections.
The analysis, developed by statisticians at Ohio State University, examines groups of regional climate models, finds the commonalities between them, and determines how much weight each individual climate projection should get in a consensus climate estimate. (more…)
Lighting the Way to a Fast, Low-power Optical Transistor
COLLEGE PARK, Md. — There has been enormous progress in recent years toward the ability to use light beams instead of, or together with, electrons in computers. Now, researchers at the Joint Quantum Institute (JQI) — a University of Maryland-based collaboration between UMD and the National Institutes of Standards and Technology — have developed a light-based switch that is a major advance toward the creation of an optical equivalent of the transistor, the centerpiece of most electronic gear. (more…)
Isoprene Research Could Lead to Eco-Friendly Car Tires
EAST LANSING, Mich. — The world’s rubber supplies are in peril, and automobile tire producers are scrambling to seek alternative solutions. (more…)
Testosterone-fuelled Infantile Males Might be a Product of Mom’s Behaviour
By comparing the testosterone levels of five-month old pairs of twins, both identical and non-identical, University of Montreal researchers were able to establish that testosterone levels in infancy are not inherited genetically but rather determined by environmental factors. (more…)