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Categories: Anthropology: Early Humans, Engineering: Nanotechnology
Published Breakthroughs in nanosized contrast agents and drug carriers through self-folding molecules
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Self-folding polymers containing gadolinium forming nanosized complexes could be the key to enhanced magnetic resonance imaging and next-generation drug delivery. Thanks to their small size, low toxicity, and good tumor accumulation and penetration, these complexes represent a leap forward in contrast agents for cancer diagnosis, as well as neutron capture radiotherapy.
Published Quantum physics: Superconducting Nanowires Detect Single Protein Ions
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source An international research team has achieved a breakthrough in the detection of protein ions: Due to their high energy sensitivity, superconducting nanowire detectors achieve almost 100% quantum efficiency and exceed the detection efficiency of conventional ion detectors at low energies by a factor of up to a 1,000. In contrast to conventional detectors, they can also distinguish macromolecules by their impact energy. This allows for more sensitive detection of proteins and it provides additional information in mass spectrometry.
Published Photonic chip that 'fits together like Lego' opens door to semiconductor industry
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new semiconductor architecture integrates traditional electronics with photonic, or light, components could have application in advanced radar, satellites, wireless networks and 6G telecommunications. And it provides a pathway for a local semiconductor industry.
Published Paleolithic humans may have understood the properties of rocks for making stone tools
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Research suggests that Paleolithic humans in the Middle East selected flint for their cutting tools based on differences in the mechanical properties of the rock. They seem to have purposefully selected the most suitable rocks for fashioning into tools, even being able to distinguish rocks that were unsuitable.
Published Harvesting more solar energy with supercrystals
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Hydrogen is a building block for the energy transition. To obtain it with the help of solar energy, researchers have developed new high-performance nanostructures. The material holds a world record for green hydrogen production with sunlight.
Published Control over friction, from small to large scales
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Friction is hard to predict and control, especially since surfaces that come in contact are rarely perfectly flat. New experiments demonstrate that the amount of friction between two silicon surfaces, even at large scales, is determined by the forming and rupturing of microscopic chemical bonds between them. This makes it possible to control the amount of friction using surface chemistry techniques.
Published A mixed origin made maize successful
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Maize is one of the world's most widely grown crops. It is used for both human and animal foods and holds great cultural significance, especially for indigenous peoples in the Americas. Yet despite its importance, the origins of the grain have been hotly debated for more than a century. Now new research shows that all modern maize descends from a hybrid created just over 5000 years ago in central Mexico, thousands of years after the plant was first domesticated.
Published Dishing the dirt on human evolution: Why scientific techniques matter in archaeology
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists should seek answers hidden in the dirt using proven and state-of-the-art archaeological science techniques to support new discoveries about human evolution following recent controversies at a cave site in Africa, says a group of international experts. Their recommendations follow claims published in June of this year that Homo naledi --a small-brained human species -- buried their dead in Rising Star Cave, South Africa, between 335,000 and 241,000 years ago, and may also have decorated the cave walls with engravings.
Published Unknown animals were leaving bird-like footprints in Late Triassic Southern Africa
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Ancient animals were walking around on bird-like feet over 210 million years ago, according to a new study.
Published Nextgen computing: Hard-to-move quasiparticles glide up pyramid edges
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new kind of 'wire' for moving excitons could help enable a new class of devices, perhaps including room temperature quantum computers.
Published Neanderthals were the world's first artists, research reveals
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Recent research has shown that engravings in a cave in La Roche-Cotard (France), which has been sealed for thousands of years, were actually made by Neanderthals. The findings reveal that the Neanderthals were the first humans with an appreciation of art.
Published Looking for 'LUCA' and the timing of cellular evolution
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source LUCA, the 'last universal common ancestor' of all living organisms, lived 4.32 to at most 4.52 billion years ago. What LUCA looked like is unknown, but it must have been a cell with among others ribosomal proteins and an ATP synthase.
Published Gold now has a golden future in revolutionizing wearable devices
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have pioneered a novel approach to develop intelligent healthcare sensors using various gold nanowires.
Published New computer code for mechanics of tissues and cells in three dimensions
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Biological materials are made of individual components, including tiny motors that convert fuel into motion. This creates patterns of movement, and the material shapes itself with coherent flows by constant consumption of energy. Such continuously driven materials are called 'active matter'. The mechanics of cells and tissues can be described by active matter theory, a scientific framework to understand shape, flows, and form of living materials. The active matter theory consists of many challenging mathematical equations. Scientists have now developed an algorithm, implemented in an open-source supercomputer code, that can for the first time solve the equations of active matter theory in realistic scenarios. These solutions bring us a big step closer to solving the century-old riddle of how cells and tissues attain their shape and to designing artificial biological machines.
Published Engineering bacteria to biosynthesize intricate protein complexes
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Protein cages found in nature within microbes help weather its contents from the harsh intracellular environment -- an observation with many bioengineering applications. Researchers recently developed an innovative bioengineering approach using genetically modified bacteria; these bacteria can incorporate protein cages around protein crystals. This in-cell biosynthesis method efficiently produces highly customized protein complexes, which could find applications as advanced solid catalysts and functionalized nanomaterials.
Published Nanoparticles for optimized cancer therapy
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest types of cancers in humans. It is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the western world. The early stages of the disease often progress without symptoms, so diagnosis is usually very late.
Published Evolution of taste: Early sharks were able to perceive bitter substances
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New genetic data show that humans and sharks share bitter taste receptors, even though their evolutionary pathways separated nearly 500 million years ago.
Published No scientific evidence for cognitively advanced behaviors and symbolism by Homo naledi
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study casts doubt on claims that Homo naledi, a small-brained hominin dating to between 335-241,000 years ago, deliberately buried their dead and produced rock art in Rising Star Cave, South Africa. Recent articles suggested the recent excavations at the Rising Star Cave system provided evidence of at least three burial features, two in the Dinaledi Chamber and a third in the Hill Antechamber cavity. The group of experts have now called for a deeper dig into the science behind the findings.
Published Template for success: Shaping hard carbon electrodes for next-generation batteries
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Sodium- and potassium-ion batteries are promising next-generation alternatives to the ubiquitous lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). However, their energy density still lags behind that of LIBs. To tackle this issue, researchers explored an innovative strategy to turn hard carbon into an excellent negative electrode material. Using inorganic zinc-based compounds as a template during synthesis, they prepared nanostructured hard carbon, which exhibits excellent performance in both alternative batteries.
Published Understanding the dynamic behavior of rubber materials
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Rubber-like materials can exhibit both spring-like and flow-like behaviors simultaneously, which contributes to their exceptional damping abilities. To understand the dynamic viscoelasticity of these materials, researchers have recently developed a novel system that can conduct dynamic mechanical analysis and dynamic micro X-ray computed tomography simultaneously. This technology can enhance our understanding of the microstructure of viscoelastic materials and pave the way for the development of better materials.