Showing 20 articles starting at article 121
< Previous 20 articles Next 20 articles >
Categories: Engineering: Graphene, Environmental: Wildfires
Published Research shows wildfire smoke may linger in homes long after initial blaze
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Newly published research on indoor air quality shows wildfire smoke may linger in homes long after the initial blaze has been put out or winds have shifted. The findings show that wildfire smoke can attach to home surfaces like carpet, drapes or counters -- extending the exposure for those inside and potentially causing health problems even after an initial cleaning activity by air purifiers.
Published Scientists discover 'flipping' layers in heterostructures to cause changes in their properties
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) semiconductors are special materials that have long fascinated researchers with their unique properties. For one, they are flat, one-atom-thick two-dimensional (2D) materials similar to that of graphene. They are compounds that contain different combinations of the transition metal group (e.g., molybdenum, tungsten) and chalcogen elements (e.g., sulfur, selenium, tellurium).
Published Epiphytes, amazing plants like moss and bromeliads found in trees, face growing threats
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Epiphytes, plants such as orchids and mosses that grow in trees, draw nutrients from the air and create refuge for all sorts of other life forms. They are the foundation of forest canopy ecosystems, but they are facing threats from human and natural disturbances.
Published New study offers improved strategy for social media communications during wildfires
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New research offers an improved strategy for social media communications during wildfires and contradicting existing crisis communication theory.
Published Twisted science: New quantum ruler to explore exotic matter
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have developed a 'quantum ruler' to measure and explore the strange properties of multilayered sheets of graphene, a form of carbon. The work may also lead to a new, miniaturized standard for electrical resistance that could calibrate electronic devices directly on the factory floor, eliminating the need to send them to an off-site standards laboratory.
Published Simultaneous large wildfires will increase in Western U.S.
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Simultaneous outbreaks of large wildfires will become more frequent in the Western United States this century as the climate warms, putting major strains on efforts to fight fires, according to new research. The most severe wildfire seasons will become at least twice as frequent.
Published Extreme fires and heavy rainfall driving platypuses from their homes
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Australia's emerging pattern of severe mega bushfires and heavy rainfall may be driving platypuses from their homes, a new study has shown. Analysis of platypus DNA in rivers and creek water samples collected before and after the Black Summer 2019-2020 megafires suggest Australia's beloved semi-aquatic monotremes might be abandoning severely bushfire-affected areas for up to 18 months after a fire, especially if heavy rainfall has followed the fire.
Published Graphene oxide reduces the toxicity of Alzheimer's proteins
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A probable early driver of Alzheimer's disease is the accumulation of molecules called amyloid peptides. These cause cell death, and are commonly found in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients. Researchers have now shown that yeast cells that accumulate these misfolded amyloid peptides can recover after being treated with graphene oxide nanoflakes.
Published Controlled burns help prevent wildfires; Climate change is limiting their use
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Climate change means the American West will have 17% fewer safe days to light prescribed fires for wildfire management, according to new research. Winter, however, will see a net 4% increase in the number of favorable days. Implementing controlled burns in the West will require changes to policy and the availability of firefighters.
Published Climate and human land use both play roles in Pacific island wildfires past and present
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source It’s long been understood that human settlement contributes to conditions that make Pacific Islands more susceptible to wildfires, such as the devastating Aug. 8 event that destroyed the Maui community of Lahaina. But a new study from fire scientist shows that climate is an undervalued part of the equation.
Published Researchers dynamically tune friction in graphene
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The friction on a graphene surface can be dynamically tuned using external electric fields, according to researchers.
Published Scientists reveal what fuels wildfires in Sierra Nevada Mountains
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Wildfires in California, exacerbated by human-driven climate change, are getting more severe. To better manage them, there's a growing need to know exactly what fuels the blazes after they ignite. Scientists now report that one of the chief fuels of wildfires in California's Sierra Nevada mountains is the decades-old remains of large trees.
Published By air, rain and land: How microbes return after a wildfire
(via sciencedaily.com) Ecological disturbances like wildfires disrupt microbial communities. Researchers found that dispersal played a pivotal role in re-establishing surface-level communities.
Published Efficient fuel-molecule sieving using graphene
(via sciencedaily.com) A research team has successfully developed a new method that can prevent the crossover of large fuel molecules and suppress the degradation of electrodes in advanced fuel cell technology using methanol or formic acid. The successful sieving of the fuel molecules is achieved via selective proton transfers due to steric hindrance on holey graphene sheets that have chemical functionalization and act as proton-exchange membranes.
Published One-atom-thick ribbons could improve batteries, solar cells and sensors
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers created nanoribbons made of phosphorus and tiny amounts of arsenic, which they found were able to conduct electricity at temperatures above -140 degrees Celsius, while retaining the highly useful properties of the phosphorus-only ribbons.
Published Making contact: Researchers wire up individual graphene nanoribbons
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers have developed a method of 'wiring up' graphene nanoribbons (GNRs), a class of one-dimensional materials that are of interest in the scaling of microelectronic devices. Using a direct-write scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) based process, the nanometer-scale metal contacts were fabricated on individual GNRs and could control the electronic character of the GNRs. The researchers say that this is the first demonstration of making metal contacts to specific GNRs with certainty and that those contacts induce device functionality needed for transistor function.
Published Socially vulnerable populations are disproportionately exposed to wildfires in the Western US
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source People experiencing a high degree of social vulnerability are also more exposed to wildfires in Oregon and Washington as wildfire risk increases, a new study shows.
Published Alarming results from world first study of two decades of global smoke pollution
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The world's first study of the increase in pollution from landscape fires across the globe over the past two decades reveals that over 2 billion people are exposed to at least one day of potentially health-impacting environmental hazard annually -- a figure that has increased by 6.8 per cent in the last ten years.
Published New Si-based photocatalyst enables efficient solar-driven hydrogen production and biomass refinery
(via sciencedaily.com) A research team has achieved a significant breakthrough in the development of a hybrid silicon photocatalyst.
Published Almost half of koala habitats will be under high bushfire threat by 2070
(via sciencedaily.com) The research team generated a series of fire susceptibility maps. These show the proportion of Australia experiencing 'high' or 'very high' fire susceptibility increasing from 14.9% now to 15.66% by 2070 -- while fire susceptibility of areas suitable for the plants that koalas depend on is tipped to jump from 39.56% to 44.61% by 2070.