The Researchers at ETH Zurich have used nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to investigate the atomic surroundings. They have also done it for the spatial orientation of individual platinum atoms embedded in solid supports. This technique is reliable for improving the design and production of single-atom catalysts in the future. Catalysis is the process of accelerating chemical reactions by introducing a specific substance called a catalyst. They are vital to both industry and everyday life. Approximately 80% of all chemical products…

Researchers investigate the interaction dynamics of bovine serum albumin and silica nanoparticles using spectroscopy methods Nanoparticles (NPs) are materials whose dimensions range from 1 to 1,000 nanometers (nm). Due to their nano-scale dimensions and tunable material properties, NPs have gained interest in the global scientific community in recent years. Applications of NPs in the field of human health include NP-based drug delivery systems and radioactive probe-linked NPs for medical diagnosis. While significant advancements have been achieved in the design and…

Female earwigs may use their forceps as weapons too—just like males A new study from Toho University reveals that female earwigs exhibit a similar pattern of exaggerated forceps growth as males, suggesting that both sexes may have evolved these traits through sexual selection. Do larger male elk have proportionally larger antlers? The answer is no. In fact, larger individuals tend to have disproportionately larger antlers—a phenomenon known as positive allometry. This pattern, where certain body parts grow disproportionately large relative to body…

Researchers from the University of Adelaide, in collaboration with the University of Melbourne, University of Queensland and Monash University, have discovered that the genetic mechanism that determines sex in monotremes is different from all other mammals. Monotremes, which include echidnas and platypuses, differ in many aspects of their biology to all other mammals. Most distinctly, they lay eggs into a transient pouch rather than giving birth to live young. In almost all mammals, male sex-determination occurs via the SRY gene…