264 articles from MONDAY 14.6.2021

Eco-friendly technology to produce energy from textile waste

A team of scientists from Kaunas University of Technology and Lithuanian Energy Institute proposed a method to convert lint-microfibers found in clothes dryers into energy. They not only constructed a pilot pyrolysis plant but also developed a mathematical model to calculate possible economic and environmental outcomes of the technology. Researchers estimate that by converting lint microfibers...

Experiments simulate possible impact of climate change on crabs

Albeit very small, with a carapace width of only 3 cm, the Atlantic mangrove fiddler crab Leptuca thayeri can be a great help to scientists seeking to understand more about the effects of global climate change. In a study published in the journal Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, Brazilian researchers supported by São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) show how the ocean warming and...

Does zinc inhibit or promote growth of kidney stones? Well, both

A funny thing happened on the way to discovering how zinc impacts kidney stones—two different theories emerged, each contradicting the other. One: Zinc stops the growth of the calcium oxalate crystals that make up the stones; and two: It alters the surfaces of crystals which encourages further growth. Now it can be told—both theories are correct as reported in the American Chemical Society...

New combination of materials provides progress toward quantum computing

The future of quantum computing may depend on the further development and understanding of semiconductor materials known as transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs). These atomically thin materials develop unique and useful electrical, mechanical, and optical properties when they are manipulated by pressure, light, or temperature.

Pollutant concentration increases in the franciscana dolphin

The concentration of potentially toxic metals is increasing in the population of the franciscana dolphin—a small cetacean, endemic to the Rio de la Plata and an endangered species— according to a study led by a team of the Faculty of Biology and the Biodiversity Research Institute (IRBio), published in the journal Science of the Total Environment.

Harmful protein waste in the muscle

An international research team identified the cause of a rare muscle disease. According to these findings, a single spontaneously occurring mutation results in the muscle cells no longer being able to correctly break down defective proteins. The condition causes severe heart failure in children, accompanied by skeletal and respiratory muscle damage. The study also highlights experimental...