Newswise Top Picks: Science Research

'Inside the Box' Look at Excited Hadrons Could Help Solve Mystery of Particle X(3872)

Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility — Tue, 12 Nov 2024 15:15:28 EST

So-called "XYZ states" defy the standard picture of particle behavior and have given rise to several attempts to understand their nature.

AI Needs to Work on Its Conversation Game

Tufts University — Tue, 12 Nov 2024 05:40:53 EST

Linguistics and computer science researchers at Tufts University have discovered some of the root causes of the inability of AI to engage in human-like conversation

Sleep is No Light Matter for Bees

University of California San Diego — Tue, 12 Nov 2024 05:00:00 EST

Disrupted sleep cycles are a well known concern for human health and function, and now researchers have found similar impacts on insects. A new study has found that artificial light disrupts the circadian rhythms of honey bees and poses a threat to their essential role as pollinators.

Decoding Ficus Hispida: New Insights Into Sex Determination in Plants

Chinese Academy of Sciences — Tue, 12 Nov 2024 00:40:04 EST

A recent study in Ficus hispida genomics has unlocked the genetic mechanisms driving this fig tree's unique reproductive system. The fully sequenced genome, a first of its kind for Ficus, reveals critical insights into how sex is determined in these plants--a factor crucial to their survival and ecological role. This research is a milestone for advancing the understanding of dioecy in plants and could open new doors for plant breeding and ecosystem management.

Study: Online E-Cigarette Retailers Fail to Comply with Sale Regulations

University of California San Diego — Mon, 11 Nov 2024 11:00:00 EST

Online e-cigarette retailers are not consistently adhering to laws aimed at preventing the sale of vaping products to minors, including regulations on age verification, shipping methods and flavor restrictions, report researchers at the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science at University of California San Diego.

Elephant Seal Colony Declines One Year After Avian Flu Outbreak

Wildlife Conservation Society — Mon, 11 Nov 2024 09:15:58 EST

The sounds of barking elephant seals are again in the air along the breeding grounds of Peninsula Valdes, Argentina--but it's quieter. Almost exactly a year after a massive outbreak of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza killed more than 17,000 elephant seals, including about 97% of their pups, scientists estimate that only about a third of the elephant seals normally expected here returned.

Storm in a Laser Beam: Physicists Create "Light Hurricanes" That Could Transport Huge Amounts of Data

Aalto University — Mon, 11 Nov 2024 07:40:39 EST

Much of modern life depends on the coding of information onto means of delivering it. Researchers at Aalto University's Department of Applied Physics found a new way to create tiny hurricanes of light -- known to scientists as vortices -- that can carry large amounts of information via cable.

COP29: Built Environment Researchers Call for Better Alignment of Policy with Science

Aalto University — Mon, 11 Nov 2024 00:30:52 EST

Scientists from across the globe are calling for experts to show their willingness to tackle emissions challenges in the built environment sector by endorsing a call for more effective collaboration between researchers and policymakers.

Revolutionary 3D Leaf Edge Reconstruction Method Enhances Plant Morphology Analysis

Chinese Academy of Sciences — Sun, 10 Nov 2024 23:50:18 EST

A research team has developed a novel method for reconstructing the 3D edges of leaves using advanced deep learning and image processing techniques.

AI-Powered Model Revolutionizes Rice Lodging Detection for Improved Agricultural Outcomes

Chinese Academy of Sciences — Sun, 10 Nov 2024 23:30:10 EST

A research team has introduced a cutting-edge deep learning model, AAUConvNeXt, for precise and efficient detection of rice lodging, a critical agricultural challenge that impacts yield prediction and disaster management.

Probing Neutron Star Crusts with Artificial Neural Networks

Department of Energy, Office of Science — Fri, 08 Nov 2024 16:05:36 EST

The inner crust of a neutron star is characterized by the presence of a neutron superfluid. To accurately predict the properties of neutron matter in this state, researchers make theoretical calculations that typically assume that neutrons form "Cooper pairs." This study used artificial neural networks to make accurate predictions without relying on this assumption.

Deep Ocean Clues to a Million-Year-Old Ice Age Puzzle Revealed in New Study

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution — Fri, 08 Nov 2024 09:45:11 EST

Using climate records spanning the past 1.2 million years, the team reconstructed deep ocean properties that are crucial for understanding the ocean's flow and carbon sequestration capabilities.

New Material to Make Next Generation of Electronics Faster and More Efficient

University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering — Fri, 08 Nov 2024 08:00:10 EST

Researchers at the University of Minnesota have achieved a new material that will be pivotal in making the next generation of high-power electronics faster, transparent and more efficient.

New Device Generates Electricity From Moisture in the Air

Binghamton University, State University of New York — Thu, 07 Nov 2024 14:30:39 EST

Binghamton University, State University of New York researchers have developed a paper-based wearable device that would provide sustained high-efficiency power output through moisture capture.

Scientists Capture Images of Electron Molecular Crystals

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory — Thu, 07 Nov 2024 11:00:15 EST

Researchers have taken direct images of the Wigner molecular crystal, a new quantum phase of an electron solid. The breakthrough may advance future technologies for quantum simulations.

New AI-Based Natural Language Feature Makes Complex Searches in Dimensions Faster and Easier

Digital Science and Research Solutions Ltd — Thu, 07 Nov 2024 09:00:19 EST

Digital Science's flagship product Dimensions has launched a beta of a new AI-based Natural Language to Query search technology.

Atomic-Level Heterostructures for Enhanced Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution

Chinese Academy of Sciences — Thu, 07 Nov 2024 08:30:37 EST

This study presents a novel approach utilizing the concentration gradient of thiourea dissociation products to synthesize a CdNCN-CdS composite photocatalyst with an atomic-level heterostructure (NCN-Cd-S). The strong electron affinity of CdNCN and efficient electron transfer at the interface enhance photocatalytic hydrogen evolution, achieving a record-high rate of 14.7 mmol(mid dot)g⁻¹(mid dot)h⁻¹ under visible light, surpassing other CdS-based composites.

Fabrication of 4-Inch Wafer-Scale Heterostructure via PECVD drives AI Semiconductor Performance Innovation!

National Research Council of Science and Technology — Thu, 07 Nov 2024 00:00:05 EST

The research team led by Senior Researcher Hyeong-U Kim of the Semiconductor Manufacturing Research Center of the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM) has achieved the world's first successful fabrication of a 4-inch heterostructures semiconductor with using plasma technology.

"Seeing" More Sharply into Self-Assembled Nanomaterials

Department of Energy, Office of Science — Wed, 06 Nov 2024 16:25:18 EST

To build nanostructures, researchers need to probe these structures' internal architecture at various states of assembly in three dimensions. This project used several methods to produce X-ray computed tomography (CT) scans that provided record-setting, 7-nanometer resolution and information on the elements in the materials. The researchers then constructed 3-D frameworks to reveal the nanostructures' imperfections and interfaces.

Research Finds Coyotes Thriving Despite Human and Predator Pressures

University of New Hampshire — Wed, 06 Nov 2024 15:05:14 EST

DURHAM, N.H.--(November 6, 2024)--Research led by the University of New Hampshire sheds light on how coyotes, North America's most successful predators, are responding to various environmental pressures, including human development, hunting and competition with larger carnivores. Surprisingly, the study's findings suggest that human hunting practices may actually contribute to increasing the number of coyotes.

Deteccion de indicios de cancer de pulmon en el aliento exhalado

American Chemical Society (ACS) — Wed, 06 Nov 2024 09:10:29 EST

En un estudio publicado en la revista ACS Sensors, investigadores informan del desarrollo de sensores ultrasensibles a nanoescala que, en pruebas a pequena escala, distinguen un cambio clave en la quimica del aliento de personas con cancer de pulmon.

KRISS Paves the Way for Room-Temperature 2D Topological Spin Structure Technology

National Research Council of Science and Technology — Wed, 06 Nov 2024 09:00:15 EST

The Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS) has, for the first time in the world, generated and controlled skyrmions at room temperature in a two-dimensional (2D) materials.

For Layered 2D Materials, Robotics Produces Cleaner Interfaces Between Stacked Sheets

Department of Energy, Office of Science — Tue, 05 Nov 2024 14:45:30 EST

Layered assembly of 2D materials such as graphene have potential roles in the development of new electronic devices. Manufacturing these materials at a large scale while making them atomically clean is a major challenge. In this study, researchers used a special robotic system to assemble graphene heterostructures into large sheets with atomically clean interfaces.

Defibrillation Devices Can Save Lives Using 1,000 Times Less Electricity

American Institute of Physics (AIP) — Tue, 05 Nov 2024 11:00:00 EST

In this week's Chaos, researchers used an electrophysiological computer model of the heart's electrical circuits to examine the effect of the applied voltage field in multiple fibrillation-defibrillation scenarios. They discovered far less energy is needed than is currently used in state-of-the-art defibrillation techniques. The authors applied an adjoint optimization method and discovered adjusting the duration and the smooth variation in time of the voltage supplied by defibrillation devices is a more efficient mechanism that reduces the energy needed to stop fibrillation by three orders of magnitude.

How One UIC Student Is Proposing to Advance Science of Superconductivity

University of Illinois Chicago — Tue, 05 Nov 2024 08:55:59 EST

Materials called cubic rare earth hydrides could be superconductors in everyday conditions