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31 articles from ScienceDaily

Exploring fish flow from fisheries to supper

A recently published study brought together experts from the fields of oceanography, genetics, ecology, fisheries biology, and social sciences to develop unprecedented insights into the natural and commercial flow of fish.

Sidewinding young stellar jets spied by Gemini South

Sinuous stellar jets meander lazily across a field of stars in new images. The gently curving stellar jets are the outflow from young stars, and astronomers suspect their sidewinding appearances are caused by the gravitational attraction of companion stars. These crystal-clear observations were made using the Gemini South telescope's adaptive optics system, which helps astronomers counteract the...

Study identifies mutations specific to Omicron variant

Researchers have identified the highly prevalent, specific mutations that are causing the Omicron variant's high rate of infection. The findings help explain how the new variant can escape pre-existing antibodies present in the human body, either from vaccination or naturally from a recent COVID-19 infection.

Form fit: Device wraps around hot surfaces, turns wasted heat to electricity

The energy systems that power our lives also produce wasted heat -- like heat that radiates off hot water pipes in buildings and exhaust pipes on vehicles. A new flexible thermoelectric generator can wrap around pipes and other hot surfaces and convert wasted heat into electricity more efficiently than previously possible, according to scientists.

Rusting iron can be its own worst enemy

Atom-level simulations reveal the reason iron rusts in supposedly 'inert' supercritical carbon dioxide fluid. Trace amounts of water can cause a reaction at the interface between iron and the fluid, prompting the formation of corrosive chemicals.

Harnessing noise in optical computing for AI

A research team has developed an optical computing system for AI and machine learning that not only mitigates the noise inherent to optical computing but actually uses some of it as input to help enhance the creative output of the artificial neural network within the system.

Mange outbreak decimated a wild vicuna population in Argentina

Mange has decimated the population of wild vicunas and guanacos in an Argentinian national park that was created to conserve them, according to a new study. The findings suggest domestic llamas introduced to the site may have been the source of the outbreak. Cascading consequences for local predator and scavenger species are expected.

In Science, small groups create big ideas

To understand the dynamics of emerging topics in science and medicine, researchers looked at researcher participation in articles containing emerging keywords over 50 years. They found that although more human resources are needed for publication, large research groups less frequently generate emerging topics. Moreover, expertise in certain topics has become important for generating emerging...

Changing the genetic 'recipe' for protovertebrates

Researchers conducted single-cell gene expression analysis to uncover the effects of manipulation of the sensory cell regulator POU IV in the protovertebrate Ciona intestinalis. Alteration of POU IV expression led to the induction of cells with characteristics of multiple sensory cell types and cells that express a gene expression profile that has not been previously observed in Ciona...

Reinterpreting our brain's body maps

Our brain maps out our body to facilitate accurate motor control. For a century, the body map has been thought to have applied to all types of motor actions. Now, a research group has revealed that the body relies on multiple maps based on the choice of motor system.

New efficiency record for solar cell technology

A research team has set a new record in the power conversion efficiency of solar cells made using perovskite and organic materials. Their latest work demonstrated a power conversion efficiency of 23.6%, approaching that of conventional silicon solar cells. This technological breakthrough paves the way for flexible, light-weight, low cost and ultra-thin photovoltaic cells for wide-ranging...

How robots learn to hike

Researchers have developed a new control approach that enables a legged robot, called ANYmal, to move quickly and robustly over difficult terrain. Thanks to machine learning, the robot can combine its visual perception of the environment with its sense of touch for the first time.

Balanced diet can mitigate negative impact of pests for bumblebees

Bumblebees are important pollinators because they pollinate many different plant species and are extremely resilient. They can still manage to fly at temperatures that are too cold for other pollinators. Like many other insects, they are in sharp decline. This makes it even more important to find out what bumblebees need to reproduce successfully. A team has shown that a diverse landscape and a...

New neutron-based method helps keep underwater pipelines open

Industry and private consumers alike depend on oil and gas pipelines that stretch thousands of kilometers underwater. It is not uncommon for these pipelines to become clogged with deposits. Until now, there have been few means of identifying the formation of plugs in-situ and non-destructively. Measurements now show that neutrons may provide the solution of choice.

Into the vortex

Vortex dynamics simulations reveal reconnection, an important property linked with creation of turbulence cascade, fluid mixing, and aerodynamic noise generation. Turbulent pipe flow simulated at high Reynolds number of up to 5,000.