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65 articles from PhysOrg

New tool allows scientists to peer inside neutron stars

Imagine taking a star twice the mass of the sun and crushing it to the size of Manhattan. The result would be a neutron star—one of the densest objects found anywhere in the universe, exceeding the density of any material found naturally on Earth by a factor of tens of trillions. Neutron stars are extraordinary astrophysical objects in their own right, but their extreme densities might also...

Researchers use cellulose to develop slow-release fertilizer and a self-fertilizing propagation pot

A research team affiliated with the Laboratory of Polymeric Materials and Biosorbents at the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar) in Araras, São Paulo state, Brazil, has produced and is testing cellulose-based materials for enhanced-efficiency fertilizers to improve the supply of nutrients to crops and reduce the release of non-biodegradable chemicals into the ecosystem.

New analysis of obsidian blades reveals dynamic Neolithic social networks

An analysis of obsidian artifacts excavated during the 1960s at two prominent archaeological sites in southwestern Iran suggests that the networks Neolithic people formed in the region as they developed agriculture are larger and more complex than previously believed, according to a new study by Yale researchers.

Retailers may be doing customers a favor with early jump on holiday sales

It isn't even Halloween, and some retailers already are putting out Christmas merchandise and promoting gift buying. Manufacturers and retailers often put out cards for Valentine's Day, chocolate eggs for Easter and a plethora of pumpkin-spiced treats ahead of Halloween and Thanksgiving many weeks ahead of the holidays.

Eating fire ants could prepare lizards for future fire ant attack

Eating fire ants might prepare a lizard's immune system to be stung by the ants, according to a new study by researchers at Penn State. The study comprehensively assessed how the immune system responds to lizards eating and being stung by these ants and might help researchers understand how other native species respond and adapt to the invasive insects.

Isotope data strengthens suspicions of ivory stockpile theft

In January 2019, a seizure of 3.3 tons of ivory in Uganda turned up something surprising: markings on some of the tusks suggested that they may have been taken from a stockpile of ivory kept, it was thought, strictly under lock and key by the government of Burundi.

Multiscale dynamical cross-talk in zeolite-catalyzed methanol-to-olefins reaction

Methanol-to-olefins (MTO) conversion, one of the most important reactions in C1 chemistry, has proven to be the most successful non-petrochemical industrialized routes for producing light olefins. Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has been dedicated to the R&D of the MTO reaction for the past four decades.

A proposal for monitoring potentially hazardous near-Earth asteroids

An enormous number of near-Earth asteroids (NEAs) orbit around the sun, and among them, 2,072 NEAs are recorded in the Minor Planet Center (MPC) database as potential hazardous near-Earth asteroids (PHAs). These PHAs frequently make close approaches to Earth's orbit, and therefore, the hazard caused by PHAs is still a very real and ever-present threat. Faced with potential threats of PHA impacts,...

Innovative examples of Big Earth Data for sustainability science

A recent Science Bulletin paper compiled by Prof. Huadong Guo and his team discusses the potential and utility of Big Earth Data through a number of case studies to support the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The case studies demonstrate that, in light of the lack of relevant data in many countries, the availability of growing multi-source data and rapid advancements in big data methods...

Dynamic confinement of zeotype cages on the selectivity control in syngas conversion

Syngas conversion, as the core technology for efficient and clean utilization of carbon resources such as coal, natural gas, CO2 and biomass, has received extensive attention from both academia and industry. An increasing number of studies demonstrate that OXZEO (oxide-zeolite) bifunctional catalyst concept provides an effective technology to tackle the selectivity challenge encountered in the...

Quantifying the impact of urbanization on gross primary production

With more than half of the world's population living in urban areas and urban areas continuing to expand, the role of urban vegetation in carbon sequestration becomes more important. A common assumption about the gross primary production (GPP) of vegetation—a measure of the amount of carbon captured by vegetation—is that it would decrease as urban areas increased, as more concrete, asphalt and...

Discovery of microbial pathway that may help combat methane emissions

Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas, contributing more than 20% of global warming since preindustrial times. Anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) is an important methane sink, reducing methane emission from various environments to the atmosphere. Methylomirabilota bacterium (Methylomirabilis oxyfera) that can use nitrite as the electron acceptor to drive AOM has been recently reported.

An ultrafine network for rivers

How are species richness and the characteristics of running waters related worldwide? This question is being addressed by a team led by IGB scientist Sami Domisch. The researchers have developed the highest-resolution map of the world's river systems ever produced. The map provides a basis for the detailed analysis of what characterizes riverine habitats and how they are interconnected.

Advanced genomic approaches hold promise for marine conservation

Genetic and genomic technologies have tremendous potential for protecting marine life, but are currently being underutilized, argue Madeleine van Oppen of the Australian Institute of Marine Science and the University of Melbourne and Melinda Coleman with the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Australia in an essay publishing on October 17 in the open access journal PLOS Biology.