New AWI simulations make it possible to compare actual extreme weather events in various climate scenarios, and to gauge the role of global warming in connection with these extremes in the process. Only a few weeks ago, massive precipitation produced by the storm “Boris” led to chaos and flooding in Central and Eastern Europe. An analysis conducted by the Alfred Wegener Institute shows that in a world without the current level of global warming Boris would have deposited roughly nine…
As demand surges for electric vehicles and energy storage systems, lithium-ion batteries need to deliver higher energy densities at lower costs. While conventional cathode materials like LiFePO4 and Li-Ni-Co-Mn-O are widely used, they often fail to balance performance with affordability. Lithium-rich manganese oxides (LRMOs) have emerged as a potential alternative due to their high capacity and cobalt-free composition. However, their low initial Coulombic efficiency and rapid voltage decay have limited their broader application. Addressing these challenges requires deeper research to…
New laser-based bubble printing technique creates ultra-flexible liquid metal circuits. As tiny as bubbles may seem, in engineers’ hands they can spark big innovations. Yokohama National University scientists have developed a promising bubble printing method that enables high-precision patterning of liquid metal wiring for flexible electronics. This technique offers new options for creating bendable, stretchable, and highly conductive circuits, ideal for devices such as wearable sensors and medical implants. Their study was published in Nanomaterials on Oct. 17. Wiring technology…
Rainfall induces bursts of natural nanoparticles that can form clouds and further precipitation over the Amazon rainforest. During the wet season in the Amazon rainforest heavy rainfall frequently occurs during the afternoon. For clouds and precipitation to develop, tiny airborne particles known as cloud condensation nuclei are required for water vapor to condense and form cloud droplets. But what are the origins of these cloud condensation nuclei? An international research team from Germany, Brazil, Sweden, and China now showed that…
Europe is preparing for climate-neutral flight powered by sustainably produced hydrogen. Last year, the EU launched a project to support industry and universities in the development of a hydrogen-powered medium-haul aircraft. Among other things, jet engines will have to be adapted to run on the new fuel. Today’s engines are optimised for burning kerosene. “Hydrogen burns much faster than kerosene, resulting in more compact flames,” explains Nicolas Noiray, Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering at ETH Zurich….
On Sept. 26, 2024, as Hurricane Helene slammed into the Gulf Coast of Florida, NASA’s Atmospheric Waves Experiment, or AWE, recorded enormous swells in the atmosphere that the hurricane produced roughly 55 miles above the ground. On Sept. 26, 2024, Hurricane Helene slammed into the Gulf Coast of Florida, inducing storm surges and widespread impacts on communities in its path. At the same time, NASA’s Atmospheric Waves Experiment, or AWE, recorded enormous swells in the atmosphere that the hurricane produced roughly…
… that monitor internal biomarkers to detect and assess airway diseases. Xiaoguang Dong, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, is leading a team of researchers that has developed a system of artificial cilia capable of monitoring mucus conditions in human airways to better detect infection, airway obstruction, or the severity of diseases like Cystic Fibrosis (CF), Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases (COPD) and lung cancer. The research was published in the November 4 issue of PNAS in the article, “Sensory Artificial Cilia for In Situ…
Surgical field expansion plate allows surgeons more independence. Robot-assisted heart surgery usually requires an assistant at the operating table to help the surgeon insert the robot arm through a small incision. The assistant has to constantly make sure the surgeon has enough room to operate via the robot arm. For greater independence on the surgeon’s side, an Osaka Metropolitan University-led group has developed a device that can secure the surgical field. Graduate School of Medicine Professor Toshihiko Shibata and Associate…
Supersolids are a new form of quantum matter that has only recently been demonstrated. The state of matter can be produced artificially in ultracold, dipolar quantum gases. A team led by Innsbruck physicist Francesca Ferlaino has now demonstrated a missing hallmark of superfluidity, namely the existence of quantized vortices as system’s response to rotation. They have observed tiny quantum vortices in the supersolid, which also behave differently than previously assumed. Matter that behaves like both a solid and a superfluid…
An international team led by Goethe University Frankfurt has identified an intracellular sensor that monitors the quality of so-called MHC-I molecules, which help the immune system recognize and kill harmful cells, including tumor cells. The sensor ensures that defective MHC-I molecules remain inside the cell, where they are eventually degraded. Surprisingly, a lack of this quality assurance can lead to more MHC-I molecules reaching the surface of cancer cells, triggering a stronger immune response against the tumor. It is comparatively…
A new approach to beam shaping will soon make additive manufacturing more flexible and efficient: Fraunhofer ILT has developed a new platform that can be used to individually optimize laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) processes. Customized beam profiles improve component quality, reduce material losses and enable previously impossible scaling of the build-up rate of the single beam process. Fraunhofer ILT will be presenting the test system, which is currently under construction, at Formnext in Frankfurt am Main from November 19…
… could revolutionize data storage. The atoms of amorphous solids like glass have no ordered structure; they arrange themselves randomly, like scattered grains of sand on a beach. Normally, making materials amorphous — a process known as amorphization — requires considerable amounts of energy. The most common technique is the melt-quench process, which involves heating a material until it liquifies, then rapidly cooling it so the atoms don’t have time to order themselves in a crystal lattice. Now, researchers at…
Research from the College of Medicine offers hope for delaying Alzheimer’s disease progression by years after initial diagnosis. A new therapy may delay Alzheimer’s disease progression by years, according to a study by researchers at Texas A&M University College of Medicine. Published in the Journal of Extracellular Vesicles, the research aims to explore treatment options for Alzheimer’s, which constitutes the most common form of dementia and is a leading cause of death among those aged 65 or older, afflicting nearly 7 million…
How the Hunga Tonga Eruption has affected Ecosystems in the South Pacific. The eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano in January 2022 released massive quantities of volcanic material into the ocean and atmosphere. Researchers from the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel have investigated how this has affected surface water biogeochemistry in the South Pacific. During a GEOTRACES expedition, the team showed that large amounts of trace elements, including iron, were introduced into the ocean, fostering phytoplankton growth….
In the construction and building sector, sustainable solutions for reducing energy requirements and improving the carbon footprint are more in demand than ever. In view of rising energy prices and strict regulations for lower energy consumption in buildings, innovative technologies such as perovskite and organic solar cells offer great potential. However, the cost, durability and efficiency of these solar cells pose a major challenge. As part of the EU-funded PEARL and BOOSTER projects, the Fraunhofer FEP is developing new coating…
Stanford Medicine-led team uncovers potential therapy. ecDNA catapults into spotlight. A trio of research papers from Stanford Medicine researchers and their international collaborators transforms scientists’ understanding of how small DNA circles — until recently dismissed as inconsequential — are major drivers of many types of human cancers. The papers, to be published simultaneously in Nature on Nov. 6, detail the prevalence and prognostic impact of the circles, called ecDNA for extrachromosomal DNA, in nearly 15,000 human cancers; highlight a novel mode of inheritance…
Feedback
