Tech
Australian researchers have demonstrated the strong potential for a new type of flexible, recyclable electrodes to be used in creating cheaper solar cells, touchscreens, wearable 'e-skins' and next-generation responsive windows.
The regional C-N-H2O coupling cycle is a strong coupling process that occurs between physicochemical process and biogeochemical processes in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems through hydrological flux, and it is closely related and intercoupled biogeochemical processes.
The primary focus of C, N, and H2O cycles from a point scale to a slope scale is on C, N, and H2O exchange flux, biophysical soil-vegetation-atmosphere processes, hydrological C and N processes (surface flow, interflow and seepage flow) and morphological transformation slope processes.
Topological metamaterials are applied as a novel platform to explore and study extraordinary effects. Instead of using natural materials, researchers artificially arrange the constituents of a topological metamaterial in a regular structure. Such an arrangement is analogous to a solid state in which the atoms form a crystal lattice. Usually, these platforms are used to simulate particular properties of solids in order to make them amenable to experimental investigation.
Extreme space weather events can significantly impact systems such as satellites, communications systems, power distribution and aviation. They are driven by solar activity which is known to have an irregular but roughly 11 year cycle. By devising a new, regular 'sun clock', researchers have found that the switch on and off of periods of high solar activity is quite sharp, and are able to determine the switch on/off times. Their analysis shows that whilst extreme events can happen at any time, they are much less likely to occur in the quiet interval.
Molecular dynamics simulations (MD) have become an ubiquitous tool in modern life sciences. In these simulations, the interactions between atoms and molecules and their resulting spatial movements are iteratively calculated and analyzed. Scientists are currently trying to gain access to biologically relevant length and time scales using this approach in order to describe molecular processes such as protein folding and protein-drug binding, which are crucial for, for example modern drug development. A team led by Dr. Steffen Wolf and Prof. Dr.
Since the invention of the MOSFET transistor sixty year ago, the chemical element silicon on which it is based has become an integral part of modern life. It ushered in the computer age, and by now the MOSFET has become the most produced device in history. Silicon is readily available, cheap, and has ideal electrical properties, but also one important drawback: it is very brittle and, therefore, breaks easily. This can become a problem when trying to make micro-?electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) from silicon, such as the acceleration sensors in modern smartphones.
Physicists from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology have developed a new method for wind speed remote measurements. It may complement the widely employed lidar and radar sensing techniques. The paper came out in Atmospheric Measurement Techniques.
Beavers are ecosystem engineers that cut down trees to build dams, eventually causing floods. Beaver-induced floods make forest landscapes and habitats increasingly diverse, but very little is known about the long-term effects of beavers on European landscapes. Researchers at the University of Eastern Finland and the University of Helsinki examined the history and occurrence of beaver-induced floods and patch dynamics in southern Finland. They used a unique dataset of field observations from 1970 to 2018.
Our body is able to treat many injuries and wounds all by itself. Self-healing powers repair skin abrasions and enable bones to grow back together. However, doctors often have to lend a helping hand to repair bones after a fracture or due to a defect. Increasingly, bone replacement materials are being used, which partially or completely restore the form and function of the bone at the site of the damage. To ensure that such implants do not have to be replaced or repaired through extensive surgery in the event of damage, they should themselves possess self-healing capabilities.
With stay-at-home orders expiring around the world, many hope that COVID-19 antibody testing will help businesses and institutions reopen safely. Determining whether people have been infected with SARS-CoV-2 is a key tool in responding to the pandemic, but it is not a magic bullet. A feature article in Chemical & Engineering News, the weekly newsmagazine of the American Chemical Society, details the steps manufacturers are taking to ensure antibody tests are accurate and available.
A new study looking at extinct camelids - ancestors of today's camels and llamas - tells the story of North America's ancient savannas and highlights how past climatic and environmental conditions influenced the composition of mammalian faunas.
People make irrational trust decisions precisely: "shouting" and spelling mistakes add together to make online health information appear doubly less trustworthy
Online health information is deemed doubly less trustworthy if the text includes both "shouting" and spelling errors together, according to a new study at Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS).
Around 80 per cent of global trade by volume is transported by sea, and thus the connectivity network of the maritime transportation system is fundamental to the world economy and to the functioning of society. To better exploit new international shipping routes, the current ones need to be analysed: What are the principles behind their network organisation? What mechanisms determine the complex system association with international trade?
A new study led by Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet (LMU) in Munich researchers shows that fluctuations in population sizes in the past have had a significant effect on contemporary seal populations, and estimates the risk of genetic impoverishment in the species investigated.
A procedure conducted for the first time in the United States at University of Chicago Medicine has provided much-needed relief for a patient who suffered from recurrent fainting spells.
Called cardioneural ablation, the procedure essentially rewired the heart to treat the recurring sudden drops in heart rate and blood pressure that had been causing the 52-year-old woman to faint at least once every two months for most of her life.