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70 articles from PhysOrg

Toxins force construction of 'roads to nowhere'

Toxins released by a type of bacteria that cause diarrheal disease hijack cell processes and force important proteins to assemble into "roads to nowhere," redirecting the proteins away from other jobs that are key to proper cell function, a new study has found.

The tilt in our stars: The shape of the Milky Way's halo of stars is realized

A new study has revealed the true shape of the diffuse cloud of stars surrounding the disk of our galaxy. For decades, astronomers have thought that this cloud of stars—called the stellar halo—was largely spherical, like a beach ball. Now a new model based on modern observations shows the stellar halo is oblong and tilted, much like a football that has just been kicked.

Researchers discover Egypt's oldest tomb oriented to winter solstice

Researchers of the University of Malaga (UMA) and the University of Jaen (UJA) have discovered Egypt's oldest tomb oriented to the winter solstice. Located in the necropolis of Qubbet el-Hawa (Aswan), it is precisely oriented to the sunrise of the winter solstice, in such a way that the sun's rays bathed with its light the place that was intended to house the statue of a governor of the city of...

Looking at oxygen storage dynamics in three-way catalysts

In light of vehicular pollutants contributing to decreasing air quality, governments across the globe are posing stricter emission regulations for automobiles. This calls for the development of more efficient exhaust gas after-treatment systems, which are systems to "clean" exhaust gas before it is released into the atmosphere).

Scientists develop new fertilizer from food chain waste

Researchers from the Università Cattolica at Piacenza, have developed a new fertilizer from food chain waste, specifically from the waste of the productions of lactic acid bacteria that currently have to be eliminated through purification processes.

How well do state-of-the-art climate models simulate sea level?

According to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the global mean sea level has risen faster since 1900 than over any preceding century in the last 3000 years. This makes hundreds of coastal cities and millions of people vulnerable to a threat of higher water levels.

Researchers develop a novel integration scheme for efficient coupling between III-V and silicon

Researchers at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has recently developed a novel integration scheme for efficient coupling between III-V compound semiconductor devices and silicon components on silicon photonics (Si-photonics) platform by selective direct epitaxy, unlocking the potential of integrating energy-efficient photonics with cost-effective electronics, as well as...

Honey bees prosper with quality, not quantity, of food in novel laboratory setup

Honey bee workers collect pollen and nectar from a variety of flowering plants to use as a food source. Honey bees typically forage from up to 1-2 miles away from the hive, though sometimes they travel even further, including up to 10 miles away. However, much of the modern landscape consists of agricultural fields, which limits the foraging options for honey bees in these areas.

Save the economy, save the planet, says sustainability expert

A new book by UVM economist Jon Erickson, "The Progress Illusion: Reclaiming Our Future from the Fairytale of Economics" (Island Press, Dec. 1) explores the harsh economic realities that have led to sky-high inflation, growing inequality, polarized politics, and climate crisis.

Food marketing and research on kids lacks government oversight

Federal regulations ban tobacco companies from advertising to kids and prohibit profanity on television before 10 p.m. But what is protecting children from predatory advertising of junk food, especially with sneaky online marketing tactics like the use of influencers?

Opinion: Tackling the climate crisis beyond COP

The clock is ticking. The 27th United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of the Parties (COP27) is nearly halfway through. Beyond the nice words, some announcements designed to make headlines and more explanations about how bad the climate crisis is, COP27's outputs and results are far from what the world expects and what the planet needs.