Newswise Curated News Channel: Nature (journal)

Controller with Integrated Machine Learning Tweaks Fusion Plasmas in Real Time

Department of Energy, Office of Science — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 20:55:07 EST

The conditions for high fusion performance in fusion devices can result in damaging energy bursts called edge-localized modes (ELMs). ELMs can be stabilized through small adjustments to the magnetic confinement field, but this approach is usually limited to manual, preprogrammed responses. In this research, scientists integrated machine learning with adaptive control to achieve real-time adjustment capable of responding to the dynamic conditions of a fusion plasma in the DIII-D National Fusion Facility and Korea Institute of Fusion Energy KSTAR tokamaks.

Metal Scrap Upcycled into High-Value Alloys with Solid Phase Manufacturing

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory — Thu, 12 Dec 2024 20:55:28 EST

Solid phase manufacturing can create new custom metal alloys through an innovative process called solid phase alloying, researchers from PNNL report.

Scientists Collect 'Microbial Fingerprints' Found in Household Plumbing

Washington University in St. Louis — Thu, 12 Dec 2024 20:40:54 EST

Household plumbing is alive with microbes; Washington University's environmental engineers are working to study those ecosystems to ensure clean water flows in homes

Roswell Park Team Identifies Factors That Boost Effectiveness of Immunotherapy in Recurrent Ovarian Cancer

Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center — Thu, 12 Dec 2024 20:35:58 EST

A study led by Roswell Park provides new insight into the complex interactions of the "tumor-immune-gut axis," and its role in influencing immunotherapy responses in patients with recurrent ovarian cancer. Newly published in Nature Communications, the findings emphasize the role of the patient's microbiome -- the collection of microorganisms in the body --and lay the groundwork for future clinical trials aimed at improving treatment outcomes.

A New Galaxy, Much Like Our Own

Wellesley College — Wed, 11 Dec 2024 12:30:59 EST

Stunning new photographs by a Wellesley College-led team of astronomers have revealed a newly forming galaxy that looks remarkably similar to a young Milky Way.

Universal Barcodes Unlock Fast-Paced Small Molecule Synthesis

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital — Wed, 11 Dec 2024 11:55:07 EST

Scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital leveraged fundamental features of chemical building blocks to transform chemical reaction analysis from minutes to milliseconds.

A New Class of Antivirals Could Help Prevent Future Pandemics

Rockefeller University — Wed, 11 Dec 2024 11:35:56 EST

Researchers discovered a vulnerability in viral enzymes that could lead to novel treatments for diseases as diverse as COVID and Ebola, while also minimizing side effects and reducing the odds of drug resistance.

Found: First Actively Forming Galaxy as Lightweight as Young Milky Way

Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) — Wed, 11 Dec 2024 11:05:29 EST

Like fireflies "dancing" on a warm summer night, 10 distinct star clusters appear in observations from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope. They are held in a cocoon of diffuse light emitted by other stars scattered around them. This galaxy, known as Firefly Sparkle, was taking shape around 600 million years after the big bang.

Unlocking the Secrets of the Mind

Virginia Tech — Wed, 11 Dec 2024 08:00:59 EST

"When you're deciding whether to turn left or right, or to eat the chocolate cake or the carrots, what's happening in your brain?" This simple question masks a complex web of brain activity. Computational neuroscientists are determined to untangle the web.

First Full Characterization of Kidney Microbiome Unlocks Potential to Prevent Kidney Stones

Cleveland Clinic — Wed, 11 Dec 2024 05:00:00 EST

Cleveland Clinic researchers have found definitive proof of a kidney microbiome that influences renal health and kidney stone formation, demonstrating that the urinary tract is not sterile and low levels of bacteria are normal. The Nature Communications publication describes the rigorous multi-pronged approach a team led by Aaron Miller, PhD, and Jose Agudelo, MD, used to identify and characterize the small bacterial community by combining preclinical, human and dish studies.

New Targets for Diabetic Kidney Disease Could Prevent End Stage Kidney Failure

University of Bristol — Tue, 10 Dec 2024 06:25:28 EST

New potential therapeutic targets have been identified for diabetic kidney disease (DKD) - the leading cause of kidney failure in the world - that could see patients treated with new gene and drug therapies preventing the disease's progression into end stage kidney failure.

Illinois Researchers Investigate Weaponizing Bacterial Viruses to Combat Superbugs

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign — Mon, 09 Dec 2024 13:15:30 EST

Researchers from the University of Illinois have reported complementary discoveries that improve scientists' understanding of immune systems in bacteria and will equip clinicians with more effective options for treating antibiotic-resistant infections.

Scientists Identify a Probable Contributor to Weakness of the Aorta in People with Genetic Disorder

Johns Hopkins Medicine — Mon, 09 Dec 2024 11:00:40 EST

Studying the cells of people and genetically engineered mice, Johns Hopkins Medicine scientists say they have uncovered a potential reason why patients with Loeys-Dietz syndrome, an inherited connective tissue disorder, are especially prone to developing aneurysms at the root of the aorta, the major artery that carries blood away from the heart and to the rest of the body.

UAH Scientists Help Unveil Dynamic Gamma-Ray Emissions in Tropical Thunderclouds

University of Alabama Huntsville — Fri, 06 Dec 2024 10:45:30 EST

Researchers from the Earth System Science Center (ESSC) at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) have partnered with atmospheric scientists from NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) to make groundbreaking discoveries about gamma-ray emissions from thunderstorms. Once considered rare and short-lived, these high-energy bursts are now revealed to be far more dynamic, extensive and frequent than previously thought, particularly in tropical regions, according to the team's findings, featured in the international science journal Nature.

NUS Researchers Innovate Scalable Robotic Fibres with Light-Emitting, Self-Healing and Magnetic Properties

National University of Singapore (NUS) — Fri, 06 Dec 2024 01:40:47 EST

A team of interdisciplinary scientists from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering under the College of Design and Engineering at NUS has developed flexible fibres with self-healing, light-emitting and magnetic properties. The Scalable Hydrogel-clad Ionotronic Nickel-core Electroluminescent (SHINE) fibre is bendable, emits highly visible light, and can automatically repair itself after being cut, regaining nearly 100 per cent of its original brightness. In addition, the fibre can be powered wirelessly and manipulated physically using magnetic forces.

Changes in Blood Cell Production Over the Lifetime Could Impact Leukemia Outcomes

University of California San Diego — Thu, 05 Dec 2024 15:50:55 EST

UC Irvine Researchers Reveal Superconductivity Secrets of an Iron-Based Material

University of California, Irvine — Thu, 05 Dec 2024 12:50:38 EST

Irvine, Calif., Dec. 5, 2024 -- Scientists at the University of California, Irvine have uncovered the atomic-scale mechanics that enhance superconductivity in an iron-based material, a finding published recently in Nature. Using advanced spectroscopy instruments housed in the UC Irvine Materials Research Institute, the researchers were able to image atom vibrations and thereby observe new phonons -quasiparticles that carry thermal energy -at the interface of an iron selenide (FeSe) ultrathin film layered on a strontium titanate (STO) substrate.

Scientists Create Model to Make MRI More Accurate, Reliable

University of North Carolina School of Medicine — Thu, 05 Dec 2024 11:10:49 EST

The new model, developed by researchers at the UNC School of Medicine, can produce more accurate and reliable analysis of brain structures, which is critical for early detection, medical diagnosis, and neurological research.

A Film Capacitor That Can Take the Heat

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory — Thu, 05 Dec 2024 05:00:00 EST

Berkeley Lab and several collaborating institutions have successfully demonstrated a machine-learning technique to accelerate discovery of materials for film capacitors -- crucial components in electrification and renewable energy technologies.

Cancer Risk Declines in Old Age, New MSK Research Helps Explain Why

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center — Wed, 04 Dec 2024 11:25:19 EST

A new laboratory study provides evidence about how advanced age can be protective against cancer -- with implications for treating patients in different age groups.