Media Watch Archives
An experimental test may help confirm cases of chronic fatigue syndrome
STAT -
Now, [Ron] Davis and other scientists at Stanford and the University of California, Irvine, have created a device that could make diagnosing ME/CFS much simpler. The research was published Monday in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Known as a “nanoneedle,” the new device picks up on certain changes in electrical signals to identify people with ME/CFS.
Innovative Asthma Monitoring Device Could Predict Attacks Before They Occur
Spectrum News -
According to the American Lung Association, more than six million children in the United States suffer from asthma. Thankfully, there could an innovative new way for parents and kids to stay on top of the condition. A researcher and professor at the University of California Irvine has created a way to monitor breathing while on-the-go. Medical Engineering Professor Michelle Khine says she created the device dubbed the "breathing bandage" after her own son was born with a collapsed lung. [Subscription required, you can request an electronic copy of the article by sending an email to communications@uci.edu.]
Blood Test Might Diagnose Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
HealthDay -
The test tracks changes in the electrical pattern of a person's cells, and it accurately flagged all CFS patients in a small group of 40 people, researchers report. "When we stress the cells, we can easily differentiate them based on the signal they are showing," said lead author Rahim Esfandyarpour. "It's a huge difference." [Rahim] Esfandyarpour worked on the test with a team while at Stanford University in California. He's now an assistant professor of electrical engineering and computer science at the University of California, Irvine.
Fabric mimics squid’s skin to achieve perfect temperature
The Times -
“Ultra-lightweight space blankets have been around for decades. You see marathon runners wrapping themselves in them to prevent the loss of body heat after a race -- but the key drawback is that the material is static,” said Alon Gorodetsky of the University of California, Irvine (UCI). … Dr. Gorodetsky’s laboratory specializes in drawing inspiration from the animal kingdom. In this case they were influenced by the abilities of a certain species of squid, octopus and cuttlefish to camouflage themselves. [Subscription required, you can request an electronic copy of the article by sending an email to communications@uci.edu.]
‘Flailing’ Blood Cells and Plasma Signal Chronic Fatigue
Futurity -
The problem, he says, is that they’re not looking deep enough. Now, [Ron] Davis; Rahim Esfandyarpour, a former Stanford research associate; and their colleagues have devised a blood-based test that successfully identified participants in a study with chronic fatigue syndrome. … A paper describing the research findings appears in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Davis is the senior author. Esfandyarpour, who is now on the faculty of the University of California-Irvine, is the lead author.
Squid-inspired material keeps the heat – or loses it
New Atlas -
[UCI] Assoc. Prof. Alon Gorodetsky, co-author of the paper [said] "Our invention could lead to clothing that adjusts to suit the comfort of each person indoors. This could result in potential savings of 30 to 40 percent on heating and air conditioning energy use."
Los Angeles sets dramatic new goals for electric cars and clean buildings
Los Angeles Times -
Some researchers agree with SoCalGas that substituting cleaner fuels for gas would be easier and cheaper than swapping out gas for electricity. They include Jack Brouwer, a UC Irvine engineering professor, who has led a project to inject small amounts of hydrogen into the university’s gas pipelines. “Our policy goals cannot be met without hydrogen, is my view,” Brouwer said in an interview last month. [Subscription required, you can request an electronic copy of the article by sending an email to communications@uci.edu.]
Newly designed space blanket was inspired by the skin of squid
Earth -
Engineers at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) have created a space blanket that mimics the adaptive skin of some sea creatures. Unlike similar materials already available on the market, the temperature of the new blanket can be adjusted. Study co-author Alon Gorodetsky is an associate professor of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering at UCI.
A dynamic thermoregulatory material inspired by squid skin
Nature -
[UCI Professor] Alon Gorodetsky and others write, “Effective thermal management is critical for the operation of many modern technologies, such as electronic circuits, smart clothing, and building environment control systems. By leveraging the static infrared-reflecting design of the space blanket and drawing inspiration from the dynamic color-changing ability of squid skin, we have developed a composite material with tunable thermoregulatory properties.”
Squid skin inspires creation of next-generation space blanket
PhysOrg -
"Ultra-lightweight space blankets have been around for decades - you see marathon runners wrapping themselves in them to prevent the loss of body heat after a race - but the key drawback is that the material is static," said co-author Alon Gorodetsky, UCI associate professor of chemical & biomolecular engineering. "We've made a version with changeable properties so you can regulate how much heat is trapped or released."