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Power and Electrical Engineering

High-Sensitivity Terahertz Detection via 2D Plasmons

A research group has developed a high-speed, high-sensitivity terahertz-wave detector operating at room temperature, paving the way for advancements in the development of next generation 6G/7G technology. Details of their breakthrough were published in the journal Nanophotonics on November 9, 2023. The enhancement of current communications speeds will rely on terahertz (THz) waves. THz waves are electromagnetic waves within the THz range, which falls between the microwave and infrared portions of the electromagnetic spectrum, typically spanning frequencies from 300 gigahertz to 3…

Life & Chemistry

Breakthrough in Organic Semiconductor Synthesis at UNIST

…paves the way for advanced electronic devices. A team of researchers led by Professor Young S. Park at UNIST’s Department of Chemistry has achieved a significant breakthrough in the field of organic semiconductors. Their successful synthesis and characterization of a novel molecule called “BNBN anthracene” has opened up new possibilities for the development of advanced electronic devices. Organic semiconductors play a crucial role in improving the movement and light properties of electrons in carbon-centered organic electronic devices. The team’s research…

Life & Chemistry

Molecules Show Non-Reciprocal Interactions Without Forces

Researchers from the University of Maine and Penn State discovered that molecules experience non-reciprocal interactions without external forces.  Fundamental forces such as gravity and electromagnetism are reciprocal, where two objects are attracted to each other or are repelled by each other. In our everyday experience, however, interactions don’t seem to follow this reciprocal law. For example, a predator is attracted to prey, but the prey tends to flee from the predator. Such non-reciprocal interactions are essential for complex behavior associated…

Life & Chemistry

Nanodrones Transform Targeted Cancer Treatment Approaches

A groundbreaking study led by Professor Sebyung Kang and Professor Sung Ho Park in the Department of Biological Sciences at UNIST has unveiled a remarkable breakthrough in cancer treatment. The research team has successfully developed unprecedented “NK cell-engaging nanodrones” capable of selectively targeting and eliminating cancer cells, offering a potential solution for intractable types of cancers. The innate lymphoid cells known as natural killer (NK) cells play a vital role in the body’s immune response against cancer. Numerous efforts have…

Life & Chemistry

How HKDC1 Protein Keeps Cells Youthful and Healthy

Researchers from Osaka University have identified a protein called HKDC1 that’s crucial to maintaining two subcellular structures, mitochondria and lysosomes, thereby preventing cellular senescence. Just as healthy organs are vital to our well-being, healthy organelles are vital to the proper functioning of the cell. These subcellular structures carry out specific jobs within the cell, for example, mitochondria power the cell and lysosomes keep the cell tidy. Although damage to these two organelles has been linked to aging, cellular senescence, and…

Power and Electrical Engineering

New Piezo Composites Boost Motion Sensor Performance

An international research group has engineered a novel high-strength flexible device by combining piezoelectric composites with unidirectional carbon fiber (UDCF), an anisotropic material that provides strength only in the direction of the fibers. The new device transforms kinetic energy from the human motion into electricity, providing an efficient and reliable means for high-strength and self-powered sensors. Details of the group’s research were published in the journal Small on Dec.14, 2023. Motion diction involves converting energy from the human motion into measurable electrical…

Materials Sciences

Li-Fi: Data Transmission 100X Faster Than Wi-Fi

Li-fi, a communication technology harnessing visible light for data transmission, has a potential to surpass Wi-Fi’s speed by over 100 times and boasts a high bandwidth, facilitating the simultaneous transmission of copious information. Notably, Li-fi ensures robust security by exclusively transmitting data to areas illuminated by light. Most importantly, it capitalizes on existing indoor lighting infrastructure, such as LEDs, eliminating the need for separate installations. However, implementing visible light communication (VLC) in practical lighting systems posed an issue of diminished…

Life & Chemistry

Oral Peptides: Transforming Drug Development for Better Therapy

For decades, a substantial number of proteins, vital for treating various diseases, have remained elusive to oral drug therapy. Traditional small molecules often struggle to bind to proteins with flat surfaces or require specificity for particular protein homologs. Typically, larger biologics that can target these proteins demand injection, limiting patient convenience and accessibility. In a new study published in Nature Chemical Biology, scientists from the laboratory of Professor Christian Heinis at EPFL have achieved a significant milestone in drug development….

Life & Chemistry

New Hydrate-Based Desalination Technique Enhances Efficiency

A research team, led by Professor Yongwon Seo in the Graduate School of Carbon Neutrality at UNIST has unveiled a highly efficient method for desalinating seawater using hydrate-based desalination (HBD) technology. The breakthrough is expected to have far-reaching implications for the application of hydrate-based desalination techniques, with the ability to calculate optimal temperatures for enhanced efficiency. Hydrate desalination technology, known for its eco-friendly freshwater production capabilities, offers a low-energy solution that can be effectively used in treating high concentrations of brine or…

Life & Chemistry

Microwave-Activated Exsolution: Sustainable Metal Nanoparticles

More sustainable and economical. This new method is based on the exsolution process activated by microwave radiation. Exsolution is a method of generating metallic nanoparticles on the surface of ceramic materials. “At elevated temperatures and in a reducing atmosphere (usually hydrogen), metal atoms migrate from the structure of the material to its surface, forming metal nanoparticles anchored to the surface. This anchoring significantly increases the strength and stability of these nanoparticles, which positively impacts the efficiency of these catalysts,” explains…

Physics & Astronomy

Quark-Matter Cores Likely in Massive Neutron Stars

New theoretical analysis places the likelihood of massive neutron stars hiding cores of deconfined quark matter between 80 and 90 percent. The result was reached through massive supercomputer runs utilizing Bayesian statistical inference. Neutron-star cores contain matter at the highest densities reached in our present-day Universe, with as much as two solar masses of matter compressed inside a sphere of 25 km in diameter. These astrophysical objects can indeed be thought of as giant atomic nuclei, with gravity compressing their…

Power and Electrical Engineering

KSTAR’s New Tungsten Divertor Enhances Fusion Power Duration

Installation of a tungsten divertor for long pulse operations. The aim is to opera The Korean artificial sun, KSTAR, has completed divertor upgrades, allowing it to operate for extended periods sustaining high-temperature plasma over the 100 million degrees. The Korea Institute of Fusion Energy announced the successful installation of the newly developed tungsten divertor for KSTAR. KSTAR, now equipped with the new divertor, commenced a plasma experiment on the 21st of December 2023. The divertor, a crucial plasma-facing component installed…

Materials Sciences

Controlling Thermoelectric Conversion in Magnetic Materials

… by magnetization direction. First direct observation of anisotropic magneto-Thomson effect. 1. NIMS has succeeded in directly observing the “anisotropic magneto-Thomson effect,” a phenomenon in which the heat absorption/release proportional to an applied temperature difference and charge current (i.e., Thomson effect) changes anisotropically depending on the magnetization direction in magnetic materials. This research is expected to lead to further development of basic physics and materials science related to the fusion area of thermoelectrics and spintronics, as well as to development…

Physics & Astronomy

Quantum-Inspired Method Reveals Hidden Images in Noise

Researchers at the University of Warsaw’s Faculty of Physics with colleagues from Stanford University and Oklahoma State University have introduced a quantum-inspired phase imaging method based on light intensity correlation measurements that is robust to phase noise. The results of the research have been published in the prestigious journal “Science Advances”. The new imaging method can operate even with extremely dim illumination and can prove useful in emerging applications such as in infrared and X-ray interferometric imaging and quantum and…

Physics & Astronomy

Hubble sights a galaxy with ‘forbidden’ light

This whirling image features a bright spiral galaxy known as MCG-01-24-014, which is located about 275 million light-years from Earth. In addition to being a well-defined spiral galaxy, MCG-01-24-014 has an extremely energetic core known as an active galactic nucleus (AGN) and is categorized as a Type-2 Seyfert galaxy. Seyfert galaxies, along with quasars, host one of the most common subclasses of AGN. While the precise categorization of AGNs is nuanced, Seyfert galaxies tend to be relatively nearby and their central AGN does not outshine…

Life & Chemistry

Organoid Model Uncovers New Target for Pancreatic Cancer Treatment

A drug screening system that models cancers using lab-grown tissues called organoids has helped uncover a promising target for future pancreatic cancer treatments, according to a new study from researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine. In the study, published Dec. 26 in Cell Stem Cell, the scientists tested more than 6,000 compounds on their pancreatic tumor organoids, which contain a common pancreatic cancer-driving mutation. They identified one compound—an existing heart drug called perhexiline maleate—that powerfully suppresses the organoids’ growth. The researchers…

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