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Categories: Environmental: Water, Physics: Optics
Published Extreme rainfall increases ag nutrient runoff, conservation strategies can help
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Nutrient runoff from agricultural production is a significant source of water pollution in the U.S., and climate change that produces extreme weather events is likely to exacerbate the problem. A new study looks at how extreme rainfall impacts runoff and suggests possible mitigation strategies.
Published New geophysical technique enhances imaging of fluid-filled rocks finding connections with microearthquakes
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have recently introduced a new method called ambient noise differential adjoint tomography, which allows researchers to visualise rocks with fluids better, leading to potential advancements in the discovery of water and oil resources, as well as applications in urban geologic hazard and early warning systems for tsunamis and the understanding of the water cycle.
Published Predictive models augur that at the end of the century fields will need more water than today
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A team has published evapotranspiration projections for Andalusia through 2100, using a machine learning model that allows this data to be obtained based on the air temperature.
Published Have researchers found the missing link that explains the mysterious phenomenon known as fairy circles?
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Fairy circles, a nearly hexagonal pattern of bare-soil circular gaps in grasslands, initially observed in Namibia and later in other parts of the world, have fascinated and baffled scientists for years. New research suggests that all theories to date have overlooked the coupling between two robust mechanisms essential for understanding ecosystem response: phenotypic plasticity at the level of a single plant, and spatial self-organization in vegetation patterns at the level of a plant population.
Published Chance twists ordered carbon nanotubes into 'tornado films'
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have developed two new methods to create ordered carbon nanotube films with either a left- or right-handed chiral pattern.
Published Researchers combine biopolymers derived from the ocean to replace synthetic plastic films
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Crustacean and seaweed materials combined in a unique way could provide a sustainable alternative to plastic films.
Published Conjoined 'racetracks' make new optical device possible
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Kerry Vahala and collaborators from UC Santa Barbara have found a unique solution to an optics problem.
Published Polyethylene waste could be a thing of the past
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Experts have developed a way of using polyethylene waste (PE) as a feedstock and converted it into valuable chemicals, via light-driven photocatalysis. PE is the most widely used plastic in the world including for daily food packaging, shopping bags and reagent bottles, and the researchers say that while recycling of PE is still in early development, it could be an untapped resource for re-use.
Published Hybrid device significantly improves existing, ubiquitous laser technology
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have developed a chip-scale laser source that enhances the performance of semiconductor lasers while enabling the generation of shorter wavelengths. This pioneering work represents a significant advance in the field of photonics, with implications for telecommunications, metrology, and other high-precision applications.
Published First observation of structures resulting from 3D domain swapping in antibody light chains
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Antibodies hold promise as therapeutic agents. However, their tendency to aggregate poses significant challenges to drug development. In a groundbreaking study, researchers now provide novel insights into the structure formed due to 3D domain swapping of the antibody light chain, the part of the antibody contributing to antigen binding. Their findings are expected to lead to improvements in antibody quality and the development of novel drugs.
Published Adapting to hypoxia: Zooplankton influence the efficiency of the biological carbon pump in the Humboldt Current off Peru
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Marine organisms play a crucial role in the global carbon cycle. Phytoplankton absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and sequester it in organic matter that sinks to the deep ocean where it can be stored for long periods of time. Until now, this process -- the biological carbon pump -- was thought to be particularly efficient in oxygen-poor areas. A new study suggests that the influence of certain zooplankton species on the biological carbon pump has been underestimated.
Published Training algorithm breaks barriers to deep physical neural networks
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have developed an algorithm to train an analog neural network just as accurately as a digital one, enabling the development of more efficient alternatives to power-hungry deep learning hardware.
Published Magnetization by laser pulse
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source To magnetize an iron nail, one simply has to stroke its surface several times with a bar magnet. Yet, there is a much more unusual method: A team has discovered some time ago that a certain iron alloy can be magnetized with ultrashort laser pulses.
Published Polaritons open up a new lane on the semiconductor highway
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source On the highway of heat transfer, thermal energy is moved by way of quantum particles called phonons. But at the nanoscale of today's most cutting-edge semiconductors, those phonons don't remove enough heat. That's why researchers are focused on opening a new nanoscale lane on the heat transfer highway by using hybrid quasiparticles called 'polaritons.'
Published Sister climate cities, utility data predict future water, electricity demands
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Modern-day Ciudad Mante, Mexico, could help Tampa, Florida, plan for shifting water and electricity demands due to climate change, according to an international team of researchers. Researchers used utilities data and climate analogs -- contemporary cities with climates close to what other cities are predicted to experience in the future -- to assess how climate change may impact residential water and electricity use across 46 cities in the United States.
Published Soundwaves harden 3D-printed treatments in deep tissues
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Engineers have developed a bio-compatible ink that solidifies into different 3D shapes and structures by absorbing ultrasound waves. Because the material responds to sound waves rather than light, the ink can be used in deep tissues for biomedical purposes ranging from bone healing to heart valve repair.
Published Researchers develop grassroots framework for managing environmental commons
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A team of sustainability scientists recently announced that they have developed a community-based framework, founded on extensive local and traditional knowledge, to help assess and respond to the kinds of ecological threats that are widely dispersed across a varied landscape and whose solutions are not immediately obvious. The framework, which was developed to address watershed issues in Honduras's Lake Yojoa, is widely applicable to a broad range of threats facing ecological commons wherever they may occur around the world.
Published Bowtie resonators that build themselves bridge the gap between nanoscopic and macroscopic
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Two nanotechnology approaches converge by employing a new generation of fabrication technology. It combines the scalability of semiconductor technology with the atomic dimensions enabled by self-assembly.
Published Chemists create organic molecules in a rainbow of colors
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Chemists have now come up with a way to make molecules known as acenes more stable, allowing them to synthesize acenes of varying lengths. Using their new approach, they were able to build molecules that emit red, orange, yellow, green, or blue light, which could make acenes easier to deploy in a variety of applications.
Published Harvesting water from air with solar power
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have developed a promising new solar-powered atmospheric water harvesting technology that could help provide enough drinking water for people to survive in difficult, dryland areas: They synthesized a super hygroscopic gel capable of absorbing and retaining an unparalleled amount of water. One kilogram of dry gel could adsorb 1.18 kilograms of water in arid atmospheric environments and up to 6.4 kilograms in humid atmospheric environments. This hygroscopic gel was simple and inexpensive to prepare and would consequently be suitable for large-scale preparation.