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23 articles from ScienceDaily

Unraveling the secrets of Tennessee whiskey

More than a century has passed since the last scientific analyses of the famed 'Lincoln County [Tennessee] process' was published, but the secrets of the famous Tennessee whiskey flavor are starting to unravel. The latest research promises advancements in the field of flavor science as well as marketing.

'Floppy' atomic dynamics help turn heat into electricity

Materials scientists have uncovered an atomic mechanism that makes certain thermoelectric materials such as iron sulfide incredibly efficient near high-temperature phase transitions. The information will help fill critical knowledge gaps in the computational modeling of such materials, potentially allowing researchers to discover new and better options for technologies that rely on transforming...

Splitting water molecules for a renewable energy future

Chemists are working on energy storage and conversion research. This work is part of a new study that solves a key, fundamental barrier in the electrochemical water splitting process where the Lin Lab demonstrates a new technique to reassemble, revivify, and reuse a catalyst that allows for energy-efficient water splitting.

Autophagy: the beginning of the end

Autophagy, from the Greek for 'self-eating', is an essential process that isolates and recycles cellular components under conditions of stress or when resources are limited. Scientists have now reconstructed the first steps in the formation of autophagosomes. They show that tiny vesicles loaded with the protein Atg9 act as the seed from which the autophagosome emerges.

New technology lets quantum bits hold information for 10,000 times longer than previous record

Quantum bits, or qubits, can hold quantum information much longer now thanks to efforts by an international research team. The researchers have increased the retention time, or coherence time, to 10 milliseconds - 10,000 times longer than the previous record - by combining the orbital motion and spinning inside an atom. Such a boost in information retention has major implications for information...

Blood breakdown product commandeers important enzyme

The hemoglobin in the red blood cells ensures that our body cells receive sufficient oxygen. When the blood pigment is broken down, 'heme' is produced, which in turn can influence the protein cocktail in the blood. Researchers have now discovered in complex detective work that the 'activated protein C' (APC) can be commandeered by heme. At the same time, APC can also reduce the toxic effect of...

Pollination: Air pollution renders flower odors unattractive to moths

Researchers showed that tobacco hawkmoths lost attraction to the scent of their preferred flowers when that scent had been altered by ozone. This oxidizing pollutant thus disturbs the chemical communication between a plant and its pollinator. However, when given the chance, hawkmoths quickly learn that an unpleasantly polluted scent may lead to nutritious nectar.

Nanoearthquakes control spin centers in SiC

Researchers have demonstrated the use of elastic vibrations to manipulate the spin states of optically active color centers in SiC at room temperature. They show a non-trivial dependence of the acoustically induced spin transitions on the spin quantization direction, which can lead to chiral spin-acoustic resonances. These findings are important for applications in future quantum-electronic...

Does the COVID-19 cytokine storm exist?

Cytokines play a crucial role in the immune response. If this immune response is too strong, also known as 'cytokine storm', it can cause harm to the patient. Following the measurement of several important cytokines in patients with COVID-19 and various other severe diseases, researchers show that COVID-19 is not characterized by a cytokine storm. This may have consequences for the treatment of...

Coaxing single stem cells into specialized cells

Researchers have developed a unique method for precisely controlling the deposition of hydrogel, which is made of water-soluble polymers commonly used to support cells in experiments or for therapeutic purposes. The researchers noticed that their technique - which allows for the encapsulation of a single cell within a minute hydrogel droplet - can be used to coax bone marrow stem cells into...

Red hot meat: The wrong recipe for heart disease

From MasterChef to MKR, the world's best chefs have taught us how to barbeque, grill and panfry a steak to perfection. But while the experts may be seeking that extra flavor, new research suggests high-heat caramelization could be bad for our health.