Geologists led by the UNIGE have reviewed the internal and external mechanisms that trigger volcanic eruptions to better anticipate the potential signs of a future eruption. What causes an eruption? Why do some volcanoes erupt regularly, while others remain dormant for thousands of years? A team of geologists and geophysicists, led by the University of Geneva (UNIGE), Switzerland, has reviewed the literature on the internal and external mechanisms that lead to a volcanic eruption. Analyzing the thermo-mechanics of deep volcanic…
Technology advance could enable space-based atomic clocks, improving communications and GPS navigation. Although quantum technology has proven valuable for highly precise timekeeping, making these technologies practical for use in a variety of environments is still a key challenge. In an important step toward portable quantum devices, researchers have developed a new high-flux and compact cold-atom source with low power consumption that can be a key component of many quantum technologies. “The use of quantum technologies based on laser-cooled atoms has…
In pioneering work, a German-Japanese research team at BESSY II has been able to determine the 3D structure of a metalloprotein that plays an important role as a catalyst in all plant cells. All plant cells obtain their energy mainly from two organelles they contain – chloroplasts (responsible for photosynthesis) and mitochondria (responsible for the biochemical cycle of respiration that converts sugars into energy). However, a large number of a plant cell’s genes in its mitochondria and chloroplasts can develop…
Stable and ordered single molecule layers on silicon through self-assembly; publication in ‘Nature Chemistry’. One vision that is currently driving material scientists is to combine organic molecules (and their diverse functionalities) with the technological possibilities offered by extremely sophisticated semiconductor electronics. Thanks to modern methods of micro- and nanotechnology, the latter designs ever more efficient electronic components for a wide variety of applications. However, it is also increasingly reaching its physical limits: Ever smaller structures for functionalizing semiconductor materials such…
Researchers at Tampere University and their collaborators have shown how spectroscopic measurements can be made much faster. By correlating polarization to the colour of a pulsed laser, the team can track changes in the spectrum of the light by simple and extremely fast polarization measurements. The method opens new possibilities to measure spectral changes on a nanosecond time scale over the entire colour spectrum of light. In spectroscopy, often the changes of the wavelength, i.e. colour, of a probe light…
Experiments suggest evidence for novel patterns of electronic charge distribution in a kagome material whose handedness can be manipulated with a magnetic field. An international team led by researchers at Princeton University has uncovered a new pattern of ordering of electric charge in a novel superconducting material. The researchers discovered the new type of ordering in a material containing atoms arranged in a peculiar structure known as a kagome lattice. While researchers already understand how the electron’s spin can produce…
A new study paves the way for the development of next generation therapeutics for the prevention and treatment of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI), the most frequent cause of healthcare-acquired gastrointestinal infections and death in developed countries. Published today in Nature Communications, the study reveals the first 3D structure of the Clostridioides difficile toxin B (TcdB) in complex with chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan 4 (CSPG4), a human receptor. The study was co-led by senior author Rongsheng Jin, PhD, a professor in the…
By identifying one of the mechanisms regulating the virulence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a UNIGE team is proposing a new strategy to combat this bacterium, which is resistant to many common antibiotics. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogenic bacterium present in many ecological niches, such as plant roots, stagnant water or even the pipes of our homes. Naturally very versatile, it can cause acute and chronic infections that are potentially fatal for people with weakened immune systems. The presence of P….
Transport system of essential materials in brain cells disrupted in certain genetic developmental disorders. University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) researchers identified a new gene that may be linked to certain neurodevelopmental disorders and intellectual disabilities. The researchers believe that finding genes involved in certain types of developmental disorders, provide an important first step in determining the cause of these disorders and ultimately in developing potential therapies for treating them. The paper was recently published in the American Journal…
University of Bayreuth has large-scale device at its disposal. The engineering sciences at the University of Bayreuth recently acquired a unique laser device equipped with an ultra-short pulse laser source for material processing. In the fields of gas sensor technology, high-frequency technology, and microsystems technology, the device opens up unimagined research possibilities. It can structure layers and coatings on sensitive surfaces with great precision. Hardened or fired technical substrates of all kinds can be precisely cut or milled. The device…
In the visual thalamus, neurons are in contact with both eyes but respond to only one. The visual thalamus is classically known to relay visual stimuli coming from the retina to the cerebral cortex. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology now show that although neurons in the mouse visual thalamus connect to both eyes, they establish strong functional connections only with one retina. These results settle partly contradictory results of earlier studies and demonstrate how important it can…
Withstanding the force of 120 kilometers/hour… Often a fingertip length decides between victory and defeat. When we currently watch a goalkeeper elegantly deflect the ball over the crossbar during the European Championship, we can hardly imagine the forces that act on the fingertips and the danger of injuring oneself in the process. The German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research Denkendorf (DITF) and their project partner T1TAN GmbH are developing effective finger overstretch protection for soccer goalkeeper gloves. Effective finger…
Using real-time deformability cytometry, researchers at the Max-Planck-Zentrum für Physik und Medizin in Erlangen were able to show for the first time: Covid-19 significantly changes the size and stiffness of red and white blood cells – sometimes over months. These results may help to explain why some affected people continue to complain of symptoms long after an infection (long covid). Shortness of breath, fatigue and headaches: some patients still struggle with the long-term effects of a severe infection by the…
Complications can always occur during operations, sometimes resulting in death. A new project called KIPeriOP aims to minimize the risk of such complications. The project is based on digitized decision guidelines and self-learning algorithms intended to provide reliable risk assessment based on individual patient data. What is the probability that certain complications will occur, and how might they be avoided? The project is coordinated by Prof. Dr. Anja Hennemuth from the Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Medicine MEVIS and Prof. Dr….
In the Magdeburg University Clinic for Radiology, the first patient in Europe has been treated with a new type of liver tumor therapy as a part of a clinical study. Histotripsy is the name of the innovative new procedure from the US, which has now been tested on a patient at the University Hospital for Radiology and Nuclear Medicine Magdeburg as part of the so-called #HOPE4LIVER study. This makes Magdeburg University Hospital the first site in all of Europe to…
University of Rochester researchers describe first highly chirped pulses created by a using a spectral filter in a Kerr resonator. The 2018 Nobel Prize in Physics was shared by researchers who pioneered a technique to create ultrashort, yet extremely high-energy laser pulses at the University of Rochester. Now researchers at the University’s Institute of Optics have produced those same high-powered pulses–known as chirped pulses–in a way that works even with relatively low-quality, inexpensive equipment. The new work could pave the…
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