ScienceDaily: All - November 13, 2023
Today's top research news
Wildfires and drought have led to $11.2 billion in damages to privately held timberland in California, Oregon and Washington over the past two decades, a new Oregon State University study found.
Fernando Astasio Avila/shutterstock.com
New research maps 14 potential evolutionary dead ends for humanity and ways to avoid them
Humankind risks getting stuck in 14 evolutionary dead ends, ranging from global climate tipping points to misaligned artificial intelligence, chemical pollution, and accelerating infectious diseases, finds a new major assessment by scientists from multiple different disciplines. To break these trends, humans must become self-aware of our common futures.
New scientific methods for analyzing criminal careers
Researchers have examined 1.2 million criminal incidents and developed an innovative method to identify patterns in criminal trajectories.
Capture or reuse CO2 as a chemical source for the production of sustainable plastics
Chemists have developed a new polyurethane production technique using CO2 to create new types of easily recyclable plastics that uses more sustainable materials to produce plastics with properties similar to conventional petro-sourced plastics. This new technology is emerging as a potential solution for the development of sustainable plastics with a wide range of properties that can easily meet the needs of most of our everyday applications.
An intravenous needle that irreversibly softens via body temperature on insertion?
A research team has developed an intravenous (IV) needle that softens upon insertion, minimizing risk of damage to blood vessels and tissues. Once used, it remains soft even at room temperature, preventing accidental needle stick injuries and unethical multiple use of needle. A thin-film temperature sensor can be embedded with this needle, enabling real-time monitoring of the patient's core body temperature, or detection of unintended fluid leakage, during IV medication.
Recycling of water-based adhesive achieved by changing pH
A research team has developed a reversible, water-based glue that has good adhesion in the neutral pH range, but can be detached again in strongly acidic or alkaline environments. The novel adhesive system, which is based on electrostatic interactions, has bond strengths somewhere between those of structural adhesives and pressure-sensitive adhesives. The new adhesive also bonds 'difficult' surfaces such as water-repellent polypropylene.
Tracking down quantum flickering of the vacuum
Absolutely empty -- that is how most of us envision the vacuum. Yet, in reality, it is filled with an energetic flickering: the quantum fluctuations. Experts are currently preparing a laser experiment intended to verify these vacuum fluctuations in a novel way, which could potentially provide clues to new laws in physics. A research team has developed a series of proposals designed to help conduct the experiment more effectively -- thus increasing the chances of success.
Aerosols: When scents influence our climate
Tiny particles that form from molecules in the air play an important role for climate change. But until now, the have been poorly understood. Scientists have now analyzed how these particles form.
Researchers have discovered the mechanism by which cholesterol in our diet is absorbed into our cells. This discovery opens up new opportunities for therapeutic intervention to control cholesterol uptake that could complement other therapies and potentially save lives.
Photo-induced superconductivity on a chip
Researchers have shown that a previously demonstrated ability to turn on superconductivity with a laser beam can be integrated on a chip, opening up a route toward opto-electronic applications.
Template for success: Shaping hard carbon electrodes for next-generation batteries
Sodium- and potassium-ion batteries are promising next-generation alternatives to the ubiquitous lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). However, their energy density still lags behind that of LIBs. To tackle this issue, researchers explored an innovative strategy to turn hard carbon into an excellent negative electrode material. Using inorganic zinc-based compounds as a template during synthesis, they prepared nanostructured hard carbon, which exhibits excellent performance in both alternative batteries.
Exhaustion caused by video conferencing demonstrated on a neurophysiological level
Using EEG and ECG data, researchers were able to demonstrate that video conferences and online education formats lead to greater fatigue than face-to-face alternatives.
Forming ice: There's a fungal protein for that
New research explores how proteins produced by a common fungus trigger ice nucleation at warm temperatures. The study holds potential implications for improving our understanding of how life affects precipitation and climate.
When keeping secrets could brighten your day
Though people often want to share good news as soon as they learn it, a study has found that keeping good news a secret before telling someone else could make people feel more energized and alive.
New study indicates C4 crops less sensitive to ozone pollution than C3 crops
Researchers have studied the effects of elevated O3 on five C3 crops (chickpea, rice, snap bean, soybean, wheat) and four C4 crops (sorghum, maize, Miscanthus × giganteus, switchgrass). Their findings indicate that C4 crops are much more tolerant of high O3 concentrations than C3 crops.
The Goldilocks Effect: Researchers establish framework for protein regulation
Researchers are working to understand how protein quality control works in cells.
Researchers explore origins of lupus, find reason for condition's prevalence among women
For years, researchers and clinicians have known that lupus, an autoimmune condition, occurs in women at a rate nine times higher than in men. Some of the factors that cause the disease's high prevalence in women have eluded discovery, but in a new study investigating the immune system processes in lupus and the X chromosome, researchers have uncovered answers about the disease's frequency in females.
Second-most distant galaxy discovered using James Webb Space Telescope
The second- and fourth-most distant galaxies ever observed have been discovered in a region of space known as Pandora's Cluster, or Abell 2744, using data from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope.
Diverse forests hold huge carbon potential, as long as we cut emissions
New study estimates that natural forest recovery could capture approximately 226 Gigatonnes (Gt) of carbon, but only if we also reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Achieving these results requires community-driven efforts to conserve and restore biodiversity. In brief: Forests have the potential to capture 226 Gigatonnes (Gt) of carbon in areas where they would naturally exist. This forest potential can only be achieved alongside emissions cuts. Sixty-one percent of the forest potential can be achieved by protecting existing forests and allowing them to regrow to maturity. Thirty-nine percent can be achieved by reconnecting fragmented landscapes through community-driven ecosystem restoration and management. A natural diversity of species is needed to maximize the forest carbon potential.
Having healthy mitochondria, the organelles that produce energy in all our cells, usually portends a long healthy life whether in humans or in C. elegans, a tiny, short-lived nematode worm often used to study the aging process. Researchers have identified a new drug-like molecule that keeps mitochondria healthy via mitophagy, a process that removes and recycles damaged mitochondria in multicellular organisms. The compound, dubbed MIC, is a natural compound that extended lifespan in C. elegans, ameliorated pathology in neurodegenerative disease models of C. elegans, and improved mitochondrial function in mouse muscle cells.
Solar-powered device produces clean water and clean fuel at the same time
A floating, solar-powered device that can turn contaminated water or seawater into clean hydrogen fuel and purified water, anywhere in the world, has been developed by researchers.
Shortening sleep time increases diabetes risk in women
A new study in women found that shortening sleep by just 90 minutes for a few weeks increased insulin resistance, a risk factor for type 2 diabetes.
Twisted magnets make brain-inspired computing more adaptable
Researchers used chiral (twisted) magnets as their computational medium and found that, by applying an external magnetic field and changing temperature, the physical properties of these materials could be adapted to suit different machine-learning tasks.
New heat map charts unequal civic opportunity in the United States
People in many parts of the United States possess few chances for the robust community engagement that underpins healthy democracies, according to a new report that for the first time maps civic opportunity across the country. The heat map reveals patterns of inequality in civic opportunity tied to race, class, immigration status and education.
Study finds melatonin use soaring among youth
Nearly one in five school-aged children and preteens now take melatonin for sleep, and some parents routinely give the hormone to preschoolers, according to new research.
