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279,032 articles from PhysOrg
Strengthening electrical connections of the superconducting circuits on the Large Hadron Collider
Since April last year, the Superconducting Magnets And Circuits Consolidation (SMACC) team has been strengthening the electrical connections of the superconducting circuits on the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). Last week they installed the last of 27,000 electrical shunts to consolidate "splices" – connections between superconducting magnets – on the accelerator.
Team creates bioplastic made from shrimp shells
(Phys.org) —For many people, "plastic" is a one-word analog for environmental disaster. It is made from precious petroleum, after all, and once discarded in landfills and oceans, it takes centuries to degrade.
Test plant for automated battery production
Siemens is using automation technology to support the development of efficient production processes for large-scale batteries. A research production plant is currently being built at the Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Württemberg (ZSW), Germany. As of 2015, industrial companies working at the center will begin developing close-to-production processes and new materials for...
The effects of climate change on the ecological role of bees
The timing has been beautifully choreographed by nature. Rising spring temperatures prompt many bee species to begin their search for the flowering plants they depend on for food—and which they propagate through pollination. But what would happen if this vital, mutually beneficial relationship goes out of synch due to climate change? That's what Assistant Professor of Biology Daniel Bunker and...
The phone of the future may be powered by alcohol
A small, light and effective micro fuel cell generates electrical energy from hydrogen, ethanol and methanol. Gianmario Scotti has developed economical and rapid methods for the purpose of fabricating micro fuel cells in his doctoral research.
US report: Warming disrupting Americans' lives
Global warming is rapidly turning America into a stormy and dangerous place, with rising seas and disasters costing citizens from flood-stricken Florida to the wildfire-ravaged West, according to a new U.S. federal scientific report.
What brachiopods can tell us about how species compete, survive, or face extinction
Billions lie dead on the sea floor. Among the carcasses are dozens of species of small shelled marine organisms called brachiopods, their tight-lipped expressions frozen in time.
Where economy meets ecology
Think of a city as a complex organism powered by human activities and consumption. John E. Fernández, an associate professor in the Department of Architecture, wants to understand how the urban metabolism works—what it needs in terms of energy, materials, and water to sustain the work and lives of its residents, and what gets discarded as waste. "When we speak of a healthy city," Fernández...
Distinct avian influenza viruses found in Antarctic penguins
An international team of researchers has, for the first time, identified an avian influenza virus in a group of Adélie penguins from Antarctica. The virus, found to be unlike any other circulating avian flu, is described in a study published this week in mBio, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology.
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Affinity Gaming reports payment system was hacked
A Las Vegas company that owns casinos in four states says its system for processing credit and debit card information has been hacked.
After long wait, Iraq authorises 3G for mobile firms
Iraq's cabinet announced Monday it has authorised mobile phone firms to use third-generation frequencies, after years of promises amid the frustrated pleas of cellular operators.
Asians outperform white students because they try harder, study finds
Asian-American schoolchildren tend to outperform their white counterparts in school because they try harder, according to a US study out Monday.
Basketball study says cooperative play lessens during playoffs
(Phys.org) —Kids basketball is an inspiring sight, watching young players lock foreheads, touch hands, pledge teamwork, and constantly pass the ball for others to shoot and score. Now for grown-up talk. Two assistant professors have written a paper in PLOS One, titled "Selfish play increases during high-stakes NBA games and is rewarded with more lucrative contracts". The authors, Eric Uhlmann of...
France definitively bans GM corn
France definitively banned the growing of genetically modified corn on Monday after its highest court and Senate both confirmed an existing ban.
IBM deepens move into computer defense
IBM on Monday moved deeper into defending business computers with a new service aimed at thwarting hackers before they do damage.
Jury holds line on damages in Apple patent case (Update)
Jurors on Monday held the line on its $119.6 million damages award to Apple in its latest patent battle with smartphone rival Samsung in Silicon Valley.
Miami looks beyond beaches, bikinis to tech
Famed for its beaches, cruises and cafecitos, South Florida is now angling to become one of the next U.S. tech hot spots by leveraging its role as the gateway to Latin America and luring northern entrepreneurs with cheap living costs and lots of sun.
Tufts University licenses silk biomaterials technology to Akeso Biomedical
Tufts University today announced that it has licensed a novel silk technology for the treatment of chronic skin wounds to Akeso Biomedical, Inc., an early stage medical device company. The technology was invented by David L. Kaplan, Ph.D., Stern Family Professor of Engineering at Tufts University, and his team of researchers at Tufts' School of Engineering.
What fuels Salmonella's invasion strategy?
Certain strains of Salmonella bacteria such as Salmonella Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) are among of the most common causes of food-borne gastroenteritis. Other strains of Salmonella such as S. Typhi are responsible for typhoid fever, which causes 200,000 deaths around the world each year. Ensuring food is clear of contamination, and water is clean are key to reducing the effects Salmonella can...
Where DNA's copy machine pauses, cancer could be next
Each time a human cell divides, it must first make a copy of its 46 chromosomes to serve as an instruction manual for the new cell. Normally, this process goes off without a hitch. But from time to time, the information isn't copied and collated properly, leaving gaps or breaks that the cell has to carefully combine back together.
Energy-subsidy reform can be achieved with proper preparation, outside pressure
Reform of energy subsidies in oil-exporting countries can reduce carbon emissions and add years to oil exports, according to a new paper from Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy.
Evolution in species may reverse predator-prey population cycles
Populations of predators and their prey usually follow predictable cycles. When the number of prey increases – perhaps as their food supply becomes more abundant – predator populations also grow.
Getting to the root of enamel evolution
Along with our big brains and upright posture, thick tooth enamel is one of the features that distinguishes our genus, Homo, from our primate relatives and forebears. A new study, published May 5 in the Journal of Human Evolution, offers insight into how evolution shaped our teeth, one gene at a time.
Groovy turtles' genes to aid in their rescue
The diverse patterns on the diamondback terrapins' intricately grooved shell may be their claim to fame, but a newly published U.S. Geological Survey study of the genetic variation underneath their shell holds one key to rescuing these coastal turtles.
Paleontologists unveil online showcase of 3-D fossil remains
More than two decades ago, University of Michigan paleontologist Daniel Fisher and some of his students began the laborious task of digitally scanning the bones of mastodons, mammoths and other prehistoric creatures so the images could be displayed on computers.