ScienceDaily: All - April 19, 2025
Today's top research news
A new record for California's highest tree
A professor's casual hike in the High Sierra turned into a new elevation record for California's highest tree, the Jeffrey pine, which wasn't formerly known to grow at extreme elevations.
Researchers demonstrate new class of quantum materials that are both metallic and one-dimensional
A study has found a rare form of one-dimensional quantum magnetism in a metallic compound, offering evidence into a phase space that has remained, until now, largely theoretical. The study comes at a time of growing global interest in quantum materials that redefine the boundaries between magnetism, conductivity, and quantum coherence.
A wearable smart insole can track how you walk, run and stand
A new smart insole system that monitors how people walk in real time could help users improve posture and provide early warnings for conditions from plantar fasciitis to Parkinson's disease.
Early detection of wood coating deterioration to better maintain wooden structures
From the Japanese cypress to the ponderosa pine, wood has been used in construction for millennia. Though materials like steel and concrete have largely taken over large building construction, wood is making a comeback, increasingly being used in public and multi-story buildings for its environmental benefits. Of course, wood has often been passed over in favor of other materials because it is easily damaged by sunlight and moisture when used outdoors. Wood coatings have been designed to protect wood surfaces for this reason, but coating damage often starts before it becomes visible. Once the deterioration can be seen with the naked eye, it is already too late. To solve this problem, a team of researchers is working to create a simple but effective method of diagnosing this nearly invisible deterioration before the damage becomes irreparable.
Extreme drought contributed to barbarian invasion of late Roman Britain, tree-ring study reveals
Three consecutive years of drought contributed to the 'Barbarian Conspiracy', a pivotal moment in the history of Roman Britain, a new study reveals. Researchers argue that Picts, Scotti and Saxons took advantage of famine and societal breakdown caused by an extreme period of drought to inflict crushing blows on weakened Roman defenses in 367 CE. While Rome eventually restored order, some historians argue that the province never fully recovered.
An international team of physicists has made a significant observation of the BKT phase transition in a 2D dipolar gas of ultracold atoms. This groundbreaking work marks a major milestone in understanding how 2D superfluids behave with long-range and anisotropic dipolar interactions.
New hybrid materials as efficient thermoelectrics
An international team has succeeded in producing new, efficient thermoelectric materials that could compete with state-of-the-art materials, offering greater stability and lower cost.
A new take on the abilities of hydrogen binding energy for use in single atom catalysts
Conventional thinking holds that the metal site in single atom catalysts (SACs) has been a limiting factor to the continued improvement of the design and, therefore, the continued improvement of the capability of these SACs. More specifically, the lack of outside-the-box thinking when it comes to the crucial hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), a half-reaction resulting in the splitting of water, has contributed to a lack of advancement in this field. New research emphasizes the importance of pushing the limits of the metal site design in SACs to optimize the HER and addressing the poisoning effects of HO* and O* that might affect the reaction. All of these improvements could lead to an improved performance of the reaction, which can make sustainable energy storage or hydrogen production more available.
Nontraditional risk factors shed light on unexplained strokes in adults younger than 50
Among adults ages 18-49 (median age of 41 years) who were born with a hole in the upper chambers of their heart known as patent foramen ovale (PFO), strokes of unknown cause were more strongly associated with nontraditional risk factors, such as migraines, liver disease or cancer, rather than more typical factors such as high blood pressure.
Green hydrogen: A cage structured material transforms into a performant catalyst
Clathrates are characterized by a complex cage structure that provides space for guest ions too. Now a team has investigated the suitability of clathrates as catalysts for electrolytic hydrogen production with impressive results: the clathrate sample was even more efficient and robust than currently used nickel-based catalysts. They also found a reason for this enhanced performance. Measurements at BESSY II showed that the clathrates undergo structural changes during the catalytic reaction: the three-dimensional cage structure decays into ultra-thin nanosheets that allow maximum contact with active catalytic centers.
European potato genome decoded: Small gene pool with large differences
A research team has decoded the genome of historic potato cultivars and used this resource to develop an efficient method for analysis of hundreds of additional potato genomes.
Tying light from lasers into stable 'optical knots'
Scientists have demonstrated a sort of holographic strip that splits a single laser beam into five bespoke beams that create an optical knot. The work shows that optical knots could be used as a reliable method to transmit encoded information or to measure turbulence in pockets of air.
Curious isolation: New butterfly species discovered
A new butterfly species, Satyrium curiosolus, was discovered in a recent study at Blakiston Fan in Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta. It has unique evolutionary history, having likely remained in isolation for up to 40,000 years, leading to flatlined genetic diversity and exceptionally high levels of inbreeding. Due to its specific ecological associations and low genetic diversity, this butterfly may soon face challenges with climate change adaptation and will require special conservation strategies.
Cerebral palsy medications given to adults may not match needs
Some medications are seen as a 'fix-all' solution, not addressing the root problem.
Researchers have successfully employed an algorithm to identify potential mutations which increase disease risk in the noncoding regions our DNA, which make up the vast majority of the human genome. The findings could serve as the basis for detecting disease-associated variants in a range of common diseases.
New study reveals how cleft lip and cleft palate can arise
Biologists have discovered that disruptions in transfer RNA function can lead to the development of cleft lip and cleft palate.
Scientists 'hack' cell entry to supercharge cancer drugs
Scientists could reshape cancer treatment by helping powerful drugs work better in the body by exploiting a surface protein called CD36 that helps pull substances into cells. This dramatically improves the uptake of a promising class of cancer-fighting drugs called PROTACs. The new drug design deliveries up to 22 times more of he drug inside cancer cells, and tumor suppression in mice.
Study identifies new method for improving lung growth and function in preterm infants
A clinical trial conducted in a neonatal intensive care unit has identified a new treatment protocol to improve lung growth and function among preterm infants.
Groundbreaking study uncovers how our brain learns
How do we learn new things? Neurobiologists using cutting-edge visualization techniques have revealed how changes across our synapses and neurons unfold. The findings depict how information is processed in our brain's circuitry, offering insights for neurological disorders and brain-like AI systems.
Curiosity rover finds large carbon deposits on Mars
Research from NASA's Curiosity rover has found evidence of a carbon cycle on ancient Mars.
Curved neutron beams could deliver benefits straight to industry
Scientists have created the first neutron 'Airy beam,' which has unusual capabilities that ordinary neutron beams do not. The achievement could enhance neutron-based techniques for investigating the properties of materials that are difficult to explore by other means. For example, the beams can probe characteristics of molecules such as chirality, which is important in biotechnology, chemical manufacturing, quantum computing and other fields.
Finding friendship at first whiff: Scent plays role in platonic potential
Two women meeting for the first time can judge within minutes whether they have the potential to be friends -- guided as much by smell as any other sense, research on friendship formation finds.
Nutrients strengthen link between precipitation and plant growth, study finds
A new study has investigated how the relationship between mean annual precipitation (MAP) and grassland biomass changes when one or more nutrients are added. The authors show that precipitation and nutrient availability are the key drivers of plant biomass, while the effects of plant diversity are minimal.