EurekAlert! News by Subject: Tech & Engineering

Tech & Engineering

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 25-Apr-2026 22:16 ET (26-Apr-2026 02:16 GMT/UTC)

10-Feb-2026

Wastewater reveals increase in new synthetic opioids during major New Orleans events

American Chemical Society
Peer-Reviewed Publication

In early 2025, the party-loving city of New Orleans, Louisiana, hosted two major events within the span of a month: Super Bowl LIX and Mardi Gras. And, as with many major events, it appears there was an increase in recreational drug use during this time. Researchers publishing in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology Letters show how monitoring wastewater revealed an increase in the use of relatively new dangerous synthetic opioids during these two events.

Journal: Environmental Science & Technology Letters

10-Feb-2026

Sensorimotor integration by targeted priming in muscles with electromyography-driven electro-vibro-feedback in robot-assisted wrist/hand rehabilitation after stroke

Beijing Institute of Technology Press Co., Ltd
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A research paper by scientists at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University developed an electromyography (EMG)-driven soft robot with electro-vibro-feedback (EVF-robot) for targeted somatosensory priming in W/H muscles.

The research paper, published on Jan 27, 2026 in the journal Cyborg and Bionic Systems.

Journal: Cyborg and Bionic Systems

10-Feb-2026

Scaling-up global solar panel manufacturing sustainably

Northumbria University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Pioneering research led by Northumbria University shows how the renewable energy sector can scale-up the production of solar energy technology while further reducing environmental impacts.

Journal: Nature Communications

10-Feb-2026

Continuous lower limb biomechanics prediction via prior-informed lightweight marker-GMformer

Beijing Institute of Technology Press Co., Ltd
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A research paper by scientists at Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology presented the Marker-GMformer model, a marker trajectories-driven deep learning model designed for efficient and accurate continuous prediction of lower limb kinematics and dynamics.

The research paper, published on Jan 15, 2026 in the journal Cyborg and Bionic Systems.

Journal: Cyborg and Bionic Systems

10-Feb-2026

Planting tree belts on wet farmland comes with an overlooked trade-off

Hiroshima University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A study finds that shelterbelts, trees planted as windbreaks, in Japan’s wet farmlands boost edge-dwelling bird population but cut grassland species by about 74%, with numbers rebounding roughly a kilometer away, revealing an overlooked conservation trade-off.

Journal: Journal of Environmental Management
Funder: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Hiroshima University, Kahokugata Lake Institute

10-Feb-2026

Tech companies need to unite and make device security easier for users

University of Plymouth
Peer-Reviewed Publication

On Safer Internet Day 2026, researchers from the University of Plymouth and University of Nottingham - who have been studying changes in internet and device security for more than two decades - say the majority of systems being used by technology companies place an undue burden on users to understand different and difficult security rules.

Journal: Computers & Security

10-Feb-2026

Uncovering patterns amid chaos

University of Pittsburgh
Grant and Award Announcement

Lei Fang, assistant professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering, has received a three-year, $372,882 National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to use data analysis and machine learning to reveal subtle behaviors in turbulence that today’s models miss.

10-Feb-2026

AI-generated arguments are persuasive, even when labeled

PNAS Nexus
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Labeling content as AI-generated does not make it less persuasive than human-authored or unlabeled content, according to a study. According to the authors, while labeling AI-generated content may be transparent, labeling by itself won’t address all the challenges posed by AI-generated information.

Journal: PNAS Nexus

10-Feb-2026

New AI model improves accuracy of food contamination detection

Oregon State University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers have significantly enhanced an artificial intelligence tool used to rapidly detect bacterial contamination in food by eliminating misclassifications of food debris that looks like bacteria.

Journal: npj Science of Food