… for ultra-low noise data transmission in satellite communications. To meet the world’s rapidly growing data consumption and increasing bandwidth requirements, satellite communications are shifting to higher frequencies. The W-band (75–110 GHz) is well suited for use in space, but technical components have been lacking so far. For this reason, Fraunhofer IAF has launched the BEACON project: Together with researchers from RPG-Radiometer Physics, a novel W-band receive front-end module is to be realized as part of the ESA ARTES program….
Aside from a tapestry of glittering stars, and the glow of the waxing and waning Moon, the nighttime sky looks inky black to the casual observer. But how dark is dark? To find out, astronomers decided to sort through 200,000 images from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope and made tens of thousands of measurements on these images to look for any residual background glow in the sky, in an ambitious project called SKYSURF. This would be any leftover light after subtracting the glow…
New ultra-precise measurements reveal the orbital path of planet 55 Cnc e (nicknamed “Janssen”), a scorchingly hot super-Earth closely circling a distant star. New research sheds light on how the “hell planet” got so devilishly hot and how other worlds might become too toasty for life. That rocky world, 55 Cnc e (nicknamed “Janssen”), orbits its star so closely that a year lasts just 18 hours, its surface is a giant lava ocean, and its interior may be chock-full of…
Ribosomes, the tiny protein-producing factories within cells, are ubiquitous and look largely identical across the tree of life. Those that keep bacteria chugging along are, structurally, not much different from the ribosomes churning out proteins in our own human cells. But even two organisms with similar ribosomes may display significant structural differences in the RNA and protein components of their mitoribosomes. Specialized ribosomes within the mitochondria (the energy producing entities within our cells), mitoribosomes help the mitochondria produce proteins that…
Mathematical analysis identifies a vortex structure that is impervious to decay. Scientists have shown how three vortices can be linked in a way that prevents them from being dismantled. The structure of the links resembles a pattern used by Vikings and other ancient cultures, although this study focused on vortices in a special form of matter known as a Bose-Einstein condensate. The findings have implications for quantum computing, particle physics and other fields. Postdoctoral researcher Toni Annala uses strings and…
Biofilms, complex communities of bacteria, abound around us: on the surface of cheese where they give off flavors and aromas, in streams where they form the slimy substance on rocks, on our teeth where they form plaque. Living in a biofilm provides numerous advantages to bacteria: things like resource sharing, shelter from predators, and increased resistance to toxic compounds such as antibiotics. But having the option to leave the biofilm when environmental conditions deteriorate can be a plus for bacteria,…
Emissions from copper-based antifouling paints are a well-known environmental problem. As much as 40 percent of copper inputs to the Baltic Sea come from antifouling paints on ships and leisure boats. According to a new study from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, this is completely unnecessary. When the researchers compared copper-based antifouling paint with biocide-free silicone-based paint, they found that the environmentally friendly alternative was best at keeping the fouling at bay. ‘This means that we now have a great…
Centre for Clinical Studies (ZKS) brings findings from science into practical application. Hannover Medical School (MHH) is one of Germany’s leading institutions in vaccine research. Before new vaccines are launched on the market, they have to undergo extensive clinical testing. The requirements for a clinical trial are high, the bureaucratic effort for planning and implementation is immense. Because this can hardly be done alongside the actual research work, the MHH has set up the Centre for Clinical Studies (ZKS). Here,…
No wall is too steep for them, they walk upside down on ceilings, their fine-haired feet stick better than any professional glue without leaving any traces, and they defy gravity: the feet of geckos! They are of equal interest to researchers in materials science and in AI research. This effect of the gecko’s feet is now to be exploited in the joint project “GecKI“ to develop energy-efficient, auto-adaptive and product-independent adhesive pads for robotic gripping systems. The German Federal Ministry…
To perform coordinated movements, we rely on special sensory neurons in our muscles and joints. Without them, the brain wouldn’t know what the rest of our body was doing. A team led by Niccolò Zampieri has studied their molecular markers to better understand how they work and describes the results in Nature Communications. Sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch: We’re all familiar with the five senses that allow us to experience our surroundings. Equally important but much less well known is…
A team led by Prof. Frank Glorius at the University of Münster presents a new, direct way to produce unsymmetrically constructed vicinal diamines. These structures are relevant for the function of biologically active molecules, natural products and pharmaceuticals. Among the most common structures relevant to the function of biologically active molecules, natural products and drugs are so-called vicinal diamines – in particular, unsymmetrically constructed diamines. Vicinal diamines contain two functional atomic groups responsible for the substance properties, each with a…
First investigation of stress state below plate boundary fault of Tohoku earthquake. The great 2011 earthquake that caused the tsunami in northeastern Japan is still remembered for its destructive power. Also known as the Mw 9.0 Tohoku earthquake, the seismic nature of this calamity was not initially entirely clear. While earthquakes resulting from built-up tectonic stress in reverse faulting had only been partially released. In previous studies where complete releases have been posited, the hypothesis was based on seismicity observation and simulation,…
A new study reveals the profound properties of a simple metal alloy. Scientists have measured the highest toughness ever recorded, of any material, while investigating a metallic alloy made of chromium, cobalt, and nickel (CrCoNi). Not only is the metal extremely ductile – which, in materials science, means highly malleable – and impressively strong (meaning it resists permanent deformation), its strength and ductility improve as it gets colder. This runs counter to most other materials in existence. The team, led…
Method offers new approach to treating neurological conditions such as epilepsy. Researchers from the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) and MIT have developed a new method to target diseased neurons in the brain and change their long-term behavior using light, paving the way for potential new treatments for neurological conditions such as epilepsy and autism. The research is published in Science Advances. “We envision that this technology will provide new opportunities for high spatiotemporal resolution control of…
Pitt engineer Lei Fang launches NSF-funded project to understand effect of active matter on transport barriers. Imagine a school of fish swimming through the open water. The way the water flows affects how the school of fish moves and how much energy the fish expend; however, their movement affects the way the water flows, too. The interactions at play here are part of the field of fluid dynamics, which is critical to engineering solutions like directing wastewater, or mapping and…
… could enable higher-res displays. FINDINGS A UCLA team has developed a technology for projecting high-resolution computer-generated images using one-sixteenth the number of pixels contained in their source images. The system compresses images based on an artificial intelligence algorithm, and then decodes them using an optical decoder — a thin, translucent sheet of plastic produced using a 3D printer — that is designed to interact with light in a specific way as part of the same algorithm. The decoder consumes…
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