ScienceDaily: All - October 26, 2023
Today's top research news
Controlling waves in magnets with superconductors for the first time
Quantum physicists have shown that it's possible to control and manipulate spin waves on a chip using superconductors for the first time. These tiny waves in magnets may offer an alternative to electronics in the future, interesting for energy-efficient information technology or connecting pieces in a quantum computer, for example. The breakthrough primarily gives physicists new insight into the interaction between magnets and superconductors.
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Breakthrough synthesis method improves solar cell stability
A new process yields 2D halide perovskite crystal layers of ideal thickness and purity through dynamic control of the crystallization process -- a key step toward ensuring device stability for optoelectronics and photovoltaics.
A superatomic semiconductor sets a speed record
The search is on for better semiconductors. A team of chemists describes the fastest and most efficient semiconductor yet: a superatomic material called Re6Se8Cl2.Â
Researcher finds proof of menopause in wild chimpanzees
A team of researchers studying the Ngogo community of wild chimpanzees in western Uganda's Kibale National Park for two decades has published a report showing that females in this population can experience menopause and post-reproductive survival.
Conduction electrons drive giant, nonlinear elastic response in Sr2RuO4
The hardness of a material normally is set by the strength of chemical bonds between electrons of neighboring atoms, not by freely flowing conduction electrons. Now a team of scientists has shown that current-carrying electrons can make the lattice much softer than usual in the material Sr2RuO4.
Is red meat intake linked to inflammation?
The researchers used blood metabolite data, which can provide a more direct link between diet and health, to assess the role of red meat on inflammation risk.
A computer scientist has developed an AI-ready architecture that is twice as powerful as comparable in-memory computing approaches. The researcher applies a new computational paradigm using special circuits known as ferroelectric field effect transistors (FeFETs). Within a few years, this could prove useful for generative AI, deep learning algorithms and robotic applications.
Engineers develop breakthrough 'robot skin'
Smart, stretchable and highly sensitive, a new soft sensor opens the door to a wide range of applications in robotics and prosthetics. When applied to the surface of a prosthetic arm or a robotic limb, the sensor skin provides touch sensitivity and dexterity, enabling tasks that can be difficult for machines such as picking up a piece of soft fruit. The sensor is also soft to the touch, like human skin, which helps make human interactions safer and more lifelike.Â
Mystery of volcanic tsunami solved after 373 years
The explosion of the underwater volcano Kolumbo in the Aegean Sea in 1650 triggered a destructive tsunami that was described by historical eye witnesses. A group of researchers has now surveyed Kolumbo's underwater crater with modern imaging technology and reconstructed the historical events. They found that the eyewitness accounts of the natural disaster can only be described by a combination of a landslide followed by an explosive eruption.
8,000 steps a day to reduce the risk of premature death
An international study has identified for the first time the optimal number of steps at which most people obtain the greatest benefits, and also shows that the pace at which you walk provides additional benefits.
Membrane transporter ensures mobility of sperm cells
Special proteins -- known as membrane transporters -- are key to the mobility of sperm cells. A research team has, with the aid of cryo-electron microscopy, succeeded in decoding the structure of such a transporter and its mechanism. These findings will enable a better understanding of the molecular foundations of reproductive capacity and could, in the long term, contribute to developing new approaches to treating fertility disorders and new methods of specific contraception.
Roosters might recognize themselves in the mirror
Scrape, cluck, lay eggs -- that's it? Anyone involved in chicken farming knows that the animals are capable of much more. Researchers have found evidence that roosters could recognize themselves in a mirror. Whether this is successful, however, depends on the experimental conditions -- a finding that points beyond the experiment with roosters and could also be of importance for other animal species.
Uranus aurora discovery offers clues to habitable icy worlds
Astronomers confirm the existence of an infrared (IR) aurora on Uranus. This could help astronomers identify exoplanets that might support life, a large number of which are icy worlds.
Endangered whales live in area earmarked for gas exploration
Endangered whales and dolphins live year-round in an area of the Mediterranean earmarked for oil and gas exploration, new research shows.
Do or dye: Synthetic colors in wastewater pose a threat to food chains worldwide
Dyes widely used in the textile, food and pharmaceutical industries pose a pressing threat to plant, animal and human health, as well as natural environments around the world, a new study has found. Billions of tons of dye-containing wastewater enter water systems every year, and a group of researchers say that new sustainable technologies including new membrane-based nano-scale filtration are needed to solve the issue, adding that legislation is needed to compel industrial producers to eliminate colorants before they reach public sewage systems or waterways.
Shape-shifting fiber can produce morphing fabrics
FibeRobo is a liquid crystal elastomer fiber that can change its shape in response to thermal stimuli. Compatible with existing textile manufacturing machinery, it could be used to make morphing textiles, like a jacket that changes its insulating properties.
To navigate the world, we all shimmy like these electric fish
An electric knifefish shimmies in the water for the same reason a dog sniffs or a human glances around a new place -- to make sense of their surroundings. For the first time, scientists demonstrate that a wide range of organisms, even microbes, perform the same pattern of movements in order to sense the world.
Study shows simple diet swaps can cut carbon emissions and improve your health
Making one small diet change -- chicken instead of beef, plant milk instead of cow's milk -- could significantly curb carbon emissions and increase the healthfulness of your diet, according to a new study.Â
DNA Origami nanoturbine sets new horizon for nanomotors
Researchers introduce a pioneering breakthrough in the world of nanomotors -- the DNA origami nanoturbine. This nanoscale device could represent a paradigm shift, harnessing power from ion gradients or electrical potential across a solid-state nanopore to drive the turbine into mechanical rotations. The core of this pioneering discovery is the design, construction, and driven motion of a 'DNA origami' turbine, which features three chiral blades, all within a minuscule 25-nanometer frame, operating in a solid-state nanopore. By ingeniously designing two chiral turbines, researchers now have the capability to dictate the direction of rotation, clockwise or anticlockwise.
Venus had Earth-like plate tectonics billions of years ago, study suggests
Venus, may have once had tectonic plate movements similar to those believed to have occurred on early Earth, a new study found. The finding sets up tantalizing scenarios regarding the possibility of early life on Venus, its evolutionary past and the history of the solar system.
Vision via sound for the blind
Smart glasses that use a technique similar to a bat's echolocation could help blind and low-vision people navigate their surroundings, according to researchers.Â
Algae's surprising potential to help ease climate change worries
The key to bringing global net-zero goals into reach may be algae, say researchers. Studies show impressive success of certain microalgae varieties to remove CO2 from the atmosphere then break it down into useful materials.
Higher levels of triglycerides linked to lower risk of dementia
Older people who have higher levels of triglycerides, a type of fat, may have a lower risk of dementia and a slower cognitive decline over time compared to people who have lower levels, according to new research. While the study found a link, it does not prove that higher levels of triglycerides prevent dementia.
Pottery becomes water treatment device for Navajo Nation
Large chunks of the Navajo Nation in the Southwest lack access to clean drinkable water, a trend that has been rising in many parts of the U.S. in recent years. A research team aims to change that.
Using sound to test devices, control qubits
Researchers have developed a system that uses atomic vacancies in silicon carbide to measure the stability and quality of acoustic resonators. What's more, these vacancies could also be used for acoustically-controlled quantum information processing, providing a new way to manipulate quantum states embedded in this commonly-used material.Â
Researchers uncover mechanism for treating dangerous liver condition
A study has shown why certain polyunsaturated fatty acids work to combat a dangerous liver condition, opening a new avenue of drug research for a disease that currently has no FDA-approved medications.
Study suggests that having common ancestors can jeopardize fertility for generations
New research provides rare direct evidence showing that increased homozygosity -- meaning two identical alleles in a genome -- leads to negative effects on fertility in a human population.
Rider on the storm: Shearwater seabird catches an 11 hour ride over 1,000 miles in a typhoon
New research suggests that increasingly severe weather driven by climate change may push oceangoing seabirds to their limits. Â
Childhood trauma linked to headaches in adulthood
People who have experienced traumatic events in childhood such as abuse, neglect or household dysfunction may be more likely to experience headache disorders as adults, according to a meta-analysis. This research does not prove that such experiences cause headaches; it only shows an association.
How sleep disruption can exacerbate pain
A new study has identified a neurotransmitter that plays a major role in chronic pain associated with sleep loss.
Clinical trials could yield better data with fewer patients thanks to new tool
Mathematicians have invented a new statistical tool to analyze multiple outcomes from clinical trials, replacing the 60-year-old standard tool that could only look at binary outcomes (survived/ did not survive). This will allow researchers to ask more complex research questions with trials that involve fewer patients, thereby streamlining the process of getting effective treatments to patients.
Perception--but not expectation--of reward is altered in people with cocaine addiction
Researchers report that cocaine addiction disrupts the dopamine neurons that govern how we perceive and learn from rewards. Though people with cocaine addiction have similar expectations of rewards compared to controls, their dopamine neurons send out much weaker signals when these rewards are actually received. This dysregulation could make it more difficult for people with cocaine addiction to learn from their experiences and change addictive behavior.
Can AI grasp related concepts after learning only one?
Researchers have now developed a technique that advances the ability of these tools, such as ChatGPT, to make compositional generalizations. This technique, Meta-learning for Compositionality, outperforms existing approaches and is on par with, and in some cases better than, human performance.
Breakthrough T cell discovery has huge potential for engineering custom immune responses
In a breakthrough discovery that changes how we understand T cells and with implications of how we can better engineer custom immune responses to fight disease, researchers showed that the different disease-fighting functions of different T cells are determined by the genetically encoded T-cell receptor sequence that are unique to those cells.
Sperm's secret voltage switch: Scientists unlock the mystery of motility
Researchers have unveiled the hidden intricacies of how sperm go from passive bystanders to dynamic swimmers. This transformation is a pivotal step in the journey to fertilization, and it hinges on the activation of a unique ion transporter.
Simple blood test can help diagnose bipolar disorder
Researchers have developed a new way of improving diagnosis of bipolar disorder that uses a simple blood test to identify biomarkers associated with the condition.
Highest-resolution single-photon superconducting camera
Researchers have built a superconducting camera containing 400,000 pixels -- 400 times more than any other device of its type. Having more pixels could open up many new applications in science and biomedical research.
Trauma, severe stress in childhood linked to criminal legal involvement in next generation
A study found that the children of parents who experienced adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)-- such as abuse, neglect, violence in the home, or loss of a parent -- are at increased risk of arrests and convictions by young adulthood.Â