ScienceDaily: All - July 20, 2024
Today's top research news
Cracking the code of hydrogen embrittlement
When deciding what material to use for infrastructure projects, metals are often selected for their durability. However, if placed in a hydrogen-rich environment, like water, metals can become brittle and fail. Since the mid-19th century, this phenomenon, known as hydrogen embrittlement, has puzzled researchers with its unpredictable nature. Now, a study brings us a step closer to predicting it with confidence.
Researchers clarify how soft materials fail under stress
Understanding how soft materials fail under stress is critical for solving engineering challenges as disparate as pharmaceutical technology and landslide prevention. A new study linking a spectrum of soft material behaviors -- previously thought to be unrelated -- led researchers to identify a new parameter they call the brittility factor, which allows them to simplify soft material failure behavior. This will ultimately help engineers design better materials that meet future challenges.
Revolutionizing the abilities of adaptive radar with AI
Engineers have shown that using a type of AI that revolutionized computer vision can greatly enhance modern adaptive radar systems. And in a move that parallels the impetus of the computer vision boom, they have released a large dataset of digital landscapes for others to build on their work.
Impact of incarceration on youth health
Health records and health care use show youth whose parents have been incarcerated have more physical and mental health challenges. Identifying those youth is a problem because most health systems don't have an established system for asking families about incarceration.
Image: bsd studio/Shutterstock.com
Shining light on amyloid architecture
Researchers use microscopy to chart amyloid beta's underlying structure and yield insight into neurodegenerative disease.
Fish adjust reproduction in response to predators
Some species of fish can evolve their egg-laying habits in response to predators in the area in order to survive, according to new research.
New snake discovery rewrites history, points to North America's role in snake evolution
A new species of fossil snake unearthed in Wyoming is rewriting our understanding of snake evolution. The discovery, based on four remarkably well-preserved specimens found curled together in a burrow, reveals a new species named Hibernophis breithaupti. This snake lived in North America 34 million years ago and sheds light on the origin and diversification of boas and pythons.
Chemists design novel method for generating sustainable fuel
Chemists have been working to synthesize high-value materials from waste molecules for years.
Scientists pinpoint new drug target for RSV
Scientists have discovered how the dangerous Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) defuses our immune response and, in doing so, they have pinpointed an exciting new target for drug developers.
The first rumblings of the Sun's next 11-year solar cycle have been detected in sound waves inside our home star -- even though it is only halfway through its current one. This existing cycle is now at its peak, or 'solar maximum' -- which is when the Sun's magnetic field flips and its poles swap places -- until mid-2025.
New dawn for space storm alerts could help shield Earth's tech
Space storms could soon be forecasted with greater accuracy than ever before thanks to a big leap forward in our understanding of exactly when a violent solar eruption may hit Earth. Scientists say it is now possible to predict the precise speed a coronal mass ejection (CME) is travelling at and when it will smash into our planet -- even before it has fully erupted from the Sun.
Come closer: Titanium-48's nuclear structure changes when observed at varying distances
Researchers have found that titanium-48 changes from a shell model structure to an alpha-cluster structure depending on the distance from the center of the nucleus. The results upend the conventional understanding of nuclear structure and are expected to provide clues to the Gamow theory on the alpha-decay process that occurs in heavy nuclei, which has not been solved for nearly 100 years.
The rhythm led by plants is crucial for symbiosis with nutrient-providing bacteria
Recent research on Lotus japonicus, a model leguminous plant, has unveiled that the interaction between legume roots and rhizobia is characterized by periodic gene expression with a six-hour rhythm. This rhythmic gene expression influences the regions of the root susceptible to rhizobial infection and the distribution of nodules. It was also discovered that the plant hormone cytokinin is crucial for maintaining this gene expression rhythm.
Can consciousness exist in a computer simulation?
A new essay explores which conditions must be met for consciousness to exist. At least one of them can't be found in a computer.
These healthcare professionals may be secret weapon against hypertension, study says
When it comes to community hypertension interventions, a new study found that pharmacists and community health workers had the best success in lowering blood pressure. These findings support the idea that hypertension interventions are most successful when they utilize healthcare workers with the most time to give as well as those who have established community relationships.
New humidity-driven membrane to remove carbon dioxide from the air
A new ambient-energy-driven membrane that pumps carbon dioxide out of the air has been developed by researchers.
Study shows promise for a universal influenza vaccine
New research reveals a promising approach to developing a universal influenza vaccine -- a so-called 'one and done' vaccine that confers lifetime immunity against an evolving virus. The study tested a vaccine platform against the virus considered most likely to trigger the next pandemic.
'Secret' hidden structure paves new way of making more efficient and stable perovskite solar cells
Researchers has revealed the existence of surface concavities on individual crystal grains -- which are the fundamental blocks -- of perovskite thin films, and have unraveled their significant effects on the film properties and reliability. Based on this discovery, the team pioneered a new way of making perovskite solar cells more efficient and stable via a chemo-elimination of these grain surface concavities.
Converting wastewater to fertilizer with fungal treatment
Creating fertilizers from organic waste can help reduce the consumption of fossil fuels and promote sustainable production. One way of doing this is through hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL), which converts biomass into biocrude oil through a high-temperature, high-pressure process. Two studies explore the use of a fungal treatment to convert the leftover wastewater into fertilizer for agricultural crops.
Good timing: Study unravels how our brains track time
Ever hear the old adage that time flies when you're having fun? A new study suggests that there's a lot of truth to the trope.