181 articles from THURSDAY 5.5.2022
Land-building marsh plants are champions of CO2 capture
It is well known that CO2 emissions from burning fossil fuels underlie the havoc being wrought by climate change. Stemming further emissions through innovations in sustainable energy production is certainly part of the solution. However, slowing global warming also hinges upon our ability to capture and retain CO2 from the atmosphere. In a study published today in the journal Science, a team of...
Investigating glowing glass droplets on the ISS
Researchers will soon be studying materials samples on the ISS. The materials in question are super-hard and corrosion-resistant alloys of palladium, nickel, copper and phosphorus—also known as metallic glasses. A high-tech company from La Chaux-de-Fonds, which produces materials for the watch industry, is also involved.
People want trustworthy researchers to have better access to their data. But only if they're told about it
The UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) DARE UK (Data and Analytics Research Environments UK) program has today published the findings of a UK-wide public dialogue exploring views towards data research practices, and where improvements need to be made to increase public confidence.
Research reveals new record year of loan origination for lenders across the UK
Lending activity has bounced back to pre-pandemic levels, according to findings from the latest UK Commercial Real Estate Lending report, authored by Dr. Nicole Lux, Senior Research Fellow at Bayes Business School (formerly Cass).
'Metalens' could disrupt vacuum UV market
Rice University photonics researchers have created a potentially disruptive technology for the ultraviolet optics market.
NASA’s Swift Tracks Potential Magnetic Flip of Monster Black Hole
Portal origin URL: NASA’s Swift Tracks Potential Magnetic Flip of Monster Black HolePortal origin nid: 479293Published: Thursday, May 5, 2022 - 13:00Featured (stick to top of list): noPortal text teaser: An unusual galactic outburst may have been sparked by a flip of the magnetic field surrounding its central black hole.Portal image: An orange and yellow accretion...
World needs food system 'transformation' to tackle climate: expert
Food is fundamental to the efforts to tackle climate change, according to a scientist who has spent decades tracing the interactions between global warming and what we eat.
Astronaut crew returning to Earth after six months on ISS
NASA's Crew-3 mission was returning home to Earth on Thursday after six months aboard the International Space Station.
NASA climate research scientist wins World Food Prize
A NASA climate research scientist who has spent much of her career explaining how global food production must adapt to a changing climate was awarded the World Food Prize on Thursday.
Only about 5% of plastic waste gets recycled in US, new report says
Only 5% to 6% of the 46 million tons of plastic waste generated annually in the U.S. gets recycled, a big dip from the last estimate of nearly 9% just a few years ago, according to a new study by two environmental groups focused on creating awareness around plastic pollution.
Tracking agricultural-related deforestation
The global trade in agricultural commodities provides food, fuel and fiber to consumers around the world. Commodity production, however, is also linked with negative environmental impacts, including the loss and degradation of forested land.
Dynamic metasurfaces and metadevices empowered by graphene
A new publication in Opto-Electronic Advances overviews dynamic metasurfaces and metadevices empowered by graphene.
Research on the photonic crystal topological state beyond the optical diffraction limit
A new publication from Opto-Electronic Advances considers research on photonic crystal topological states beyond the optical diffraction limit.
Mechanism 'splits' electron spins in magnetic material
Holding the right material at the right angle, Cornell researchers have discovered a strategy to switch the magnetization in thin layers of a ferromagnet—a technique that could eventually lead to the development of more energy-efficient magnetic memory devices.
Women working for apps like Uber and Doordash often 'brush off' harassment
Gig industry platforms such as Uber, Doordash, and TaskRabbit fail to acknowledge the realities of women workers' experiences, putting women at financial and personal risk, finds a new study.
Active brown adipose tissue protects against 'pre-prediabetes'
- ScienceDaily
- 22/5/5 17:47
In a prospective study of young, lean adults, PET/CT imaging revealed that higher levels of active brown adipose tissue (also known as 'brown fat') are more prevalent in individuals who exhibit very early indications of metabolic disorders. The study suggests that active brown fat is recruited to counteract 'pre-prediabetic' states, potentially serving as a first-line protective mechanism against...
Newly proposed search strategies improve computational cost of the bicycle-sharing problem
- ScienceDaily
- 22/5/5 17:47
Bicycle sharing is an attractive zero-carbon transportation option for a world that is being increasingly disrupted by climate change. But bikes need to be restored at bike ports every now and then. Calculating the optimal way to restore bicycles is time consuming and computationally expensive. Recently, researchers have built upon their previous optimization algorithm to propose two strategies to...
Small changes -- but essential! How peptides are recognized in receptors
- ScienceDaily
- 22/5/5 17:47
The human body consists of trillions of cells that constantly communicate with each other. A central role in this communication process is played by receptor proteins on the cell surface. Since they often serve as drug targets, they have been the subject of intensive research. Often there are whole families of receptors. The signal messengers as well as the receptors are very similar to each...
Hubble reveals surviving companion star in aftermath of supernova
- ScienceDaily
- 22/5/5 17:47
It's not unheard of to find a surviving star at the scene of a titanic supernova explosion, which would be expected to obliterate everything around it, but new research has provided a long-awaited clue to a specific type of stellar death. In some supernova cases, astronomers find no trace of the former star's outermost layer of hydrogen. What happened to the hydrogen? Suspicions that companion...
Researchers now able to predict battery lifetimes with machine learning
- ScienceDaily
- 22/5/5 17:46
Scientists have used machine learning algorithms to predict how long a lithium-ion battery will last.
Lunar soil has the potential to generate oxygen and fuel
- ScienceDaily
- 22/5/5 17:46
Soil on the moon contains active compounds that can convert carbon dioxide into oxygen and fuels, scientists report. They are now exploring whether lunar resources can be used to facilitate human exploration on the moon or beyond.
'Nanomagnetic' computing can provide low-energy AI
- ScienceDaily
- 22/5/5 17:46
Researchers have shown it is possible to perform artificial intelligence using tiny nanomagnets that interact like neurons in the brain.
'Smart' diaper for bedside urine testing
- ScienceDaily
- 22/5/5 17:46
Urine can reveal a lot about a person's health. But physicians don't currently have a convenient or fast way of tracking the concentration of important compounds in their patients' urine. Now, researchers have designed a flexible sensor that fits in a diaper, measures multiple components in urine and can share those results over Bluetooth to provide real-time bedside analyses for incontinent,...
Wearable, inexpensive robotic sleeve for lymphedema treatment
- ScienceDaily
- 22/5/5 17:46
Researchers have developed a soft robotic sleeve controlled with a microfluidic chip that reduces cost, weight, and power consumption for treatment of lymphedema. The prototype is more portable than previous devices, and the underlying mechanisms can extend to other treatments, such as prosthetics. The microfluidic chip has 16 channels, each with a different resistance. The differing resistances...
Global bird populations steadily declining
- ScienceDaily
- 22/5/5 17:46
Staggering declines in bird populations are taking place around the world. So concludes a study from scientists at multiple institutions. Loss and degradation of natural habitats and direct overexploitation of many species are cited as the key threats to avian biodiversity. Climate change is identified as an emerging driver of bird population declines.