The lungs expand when we inhale and contract when we exhale. The tissue and the interface respond with resistance to this movement.  

 The fluid on the surface of the lungs reduces this resistance, especially after deep breaths.  

This is because the pronounced stretching and compression of the pulmonary fluid leads to an ideal disposition of components: a stiff interface layer overlying softer layers below. 

Solar power generation largely depends on weather conditions. When generation deviates from the planned output, the electricity market imposes penalty fees called "imbalance penalties." Researchers at University of Tsukuba have developed an artificial intelligence (AI)-based method that optimizes the operation of solar power generation and battery storage systems, reducing imbalance penalties by up to 47% compared to conventional methods.

Rice University researchers are working with physician scientists at Houston Methodist to develop a soft, wearable “sleep cap” designed to measure and improve deep sleep, a process critical for protecting the brain against dementia and related diseases. The project, a collaboration between mechanical engineers Daniel J. Preston and Vanessa Sanchez, electrical and computer engineer Behnaam Aazhang, Houston Methodist neurologist Dr. Timea Hodics and Dr. Gavin Britz, director of the Houston Methodist Neurological Institute and chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery, is part of Rice’s broader commitment to brain health research and its support for the Dementia Prevention Research Institute of Texas (DPRIT).

In 2009, the US National Research Council called on law enforcement personnel to standardize the collection and analysis of forensic evidence. Here, scientists tested whether the latest training standard for canine detection of explosives is predictive of real-world performance. They tested 56 teams over 19 trials, including both standardized assessments and real-world scenarios. Performance in both types of trials was correlated, validating the new standard. However, the trials proved difficult: none of the teams currently met the officially required benchmarks. The authors recommend that canine teams should have access to a wider range of explosives for training to improve compliance.

UC Irvine researchers have invented an artificial colon to be used in disease anaysis and drug assessment. They envision taking a patient’s own cells from a tumor biopsy and growing a personalized mini-colon to determine which drug works best for that individual patient. Innovation provides cost-effective and ethical approach to disease treatment.