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Categories: Ecology: Trees, Physics: Optics

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Chemistry: Thermodynamics Energy: Alternative Fuels Engineering: Nanotechnology Physics: Optics
Published

Chameleon-inspired coating could cool and warm buildings through the seasons      (via sciencedaily.com) 

As summer turns to fall, many people will be turning off the air conditioning and firing up heaters instead. But traditional heating and cooling systems are energy intensive, and because they typically run on fossil fuels, they aren't sustainable. Now, by mimicking a desert-dwelling chameleon, a team has developed an energy-efficient, cost-effective coating. The material could keep buildings cool in the summers -- or warm in the winters -- without additional energy.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Physics: Optics
Published

Novel organic light-emitting diode with ultralow turn-on voltage for blue emission      (via sciencedaily.com) 

An upconversion organic light-emitting diode (OLED) based on a typical blue-fluorescence emitter achieves emission at an ultralow turn-on voltage of 1.47 V. The technology circumvents the traditional high voltage requirement for blue OLEDs, leading to potential advancements in commercial smartphone and large screen displays.

Chemistry: Thermodynamics Energy: Technology Physics: General Physics: Optics
Published

Electrons take flight at the nanoscale      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A study showing how electrons flow around sharp bends, such as those found in integrated circuits, has the potential to improve how these circuits, commonly used in electronic and optoelectronic devices, are designed.

Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Physics: Optics
Published

Novel ligands for transition-metal catalysis of photoreactions      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Transition metals exchange electrons with supporting ligands to form complexes that facilitate reaction catalysis in several industries, like pharmaceutical production. Both the metal center and the ligand moiety have pivotal roles in enabling catalysis. While numerous transition metal-catalyzed photoreactions have been developed, only a few new ligands have been reported. Researchers from Chiba University have now developed novel ligands to create transition metal complexes, defining new reaction capabilities.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Environmental: Water Geoscience: Environmental Issues Physics: Optics
Published

Laser-based ice-core sampling for studying climate change      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Researchers have developed a new laser-based sampling system for studying the composition of ice cores taken from glaciers. The new system has a 3-mm depth-resolution and is expected to help reconstruct continuous annual temperature changes that occurred thousands to hundreds of thousands of years ago, which will help scientists understand climate change in the past and present.

Biology: Botany Biology: General Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Nature Ecology: Trees Environmental: Ecosystems
Published

Canopy gaps help eastern hemlock outlast invasive insect      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Creating physical gaps in the forest canopy give eastern hemlocks more access to resources and help those trees withstand infestation by an invasive insect.

Energy: Alternative Fuels Environmental: General Environmental: Water Physics: General Physics: Optics
Published

Step change in upconversion the key to clean water, green energy and futuristic medicine      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Achieving photochemical upconversion in a solid state is a step closer to reality, thanks to a new technique that could unlock vital innovations in renewable energy, water purification and advanced healthcare.

Biology: General Ecology: Animals Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Extinction Ecology: General Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Nature Ecology: Research Ecology: Trees Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Environmental: Wildfires Geoscience: Geography
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.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Botany Biology: General Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Extinction Ecology: General Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Nature Ecology: Research Ecology: Trees Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General
Published

Study shows replanting logged forests with diverse mixtures of seedlings accelerates restoration      (via sciencedaily.com) 

• Twenty-year experiment finds that active replanting beats natural recovery for restoring logged tropical forests. • The higher the diversity of replanted tree species, the more quickly canopy area and biomass recovered. • Results emphasize the importance of preserving biodiversity in pristine forests and restoring it in recovering logged forest.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Physics: Optics
Published

New camera offers ultrafast imaging at a fraction of the normal cost      (via sciencedaily.com) 

In a new paper, researchers report a camera that could offer a much less expensive way to achieve ultrafast imaging for a wide range of applications such as real-time monitoring of drug delivery or high-speed lidar systems for autonomous driving. Researchers show that their new diffraction-gated real-time ultrahigh-speed mapping (DRUM) camera can capture a dynamic event in a single exposure at 4.8 million frames per second.

Biology: Botany Ecology: Animals Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Trees Environmental: Biodiversity
Published

Pollination by more than one bee species improves cherry harvest      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

To obtain the biggest cherry harvest, trees should be pollinated by both honey bees and mason bees. This new study shows yet another benefit of biodiversity.

Physics: General Physics: Optics
Published

A new way to create germ-killing light      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A research team has created an aluminum-nitride device that can convert visible light into deep-ultraviolet light through the process of second harmonic generation. This work can lead to the development of practical devices that can sterilize surfaces with ultraviolet radiation while using less energy.

Computer Science: Quantum Computers Physics: General Physics: Optics Physics: Quantum Computing Physics: Quantum Physics
Published

Researchers make a significant step towards reliably processing quantum information      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Using laser light, researchers have developed the most robust method currently known to control individual qubits made of the chemical element barium. The ability to reliably control a qubit is an important achievement for realizing future functional quantum computers.

Physics: General Physics: Optics Physics: Quantum Computing
Published

Valleytronics: Innovative way to store and process information up to room temperature      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Researchers have found a way to maintain valley polarization at room temperature using novel materials and techniques.

Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Nature Ecology: Trees Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Environmental: Wildfires Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

New research highlights opportunities to protect carbon and communities from forest fires      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

As the climate and wildfire crises have intensified, so too have concerns regarding the loss of carbon captured and stored in forests from decades to centuries of tree growth. A new study describes where to optimize ongoing wildfire mitigation efforts and reduce carbon loss due to wildfire, benefitting communities and climate at the same time. The study evaluated where living trees and the carbon they store are at risk of burning in the future. They then compared these areas to communities that are vulnerable to wildfire as identified in the Forest Service's Wildfire Crisis Strategy. Areas of overlap highlight 'opportunity hot spots' where action can reduce the risk from wildfire to both carbon and communities.

Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Physics: Optics
Published

How pulsating pumping can lead to energy savings      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Pumping liquids may seem like a solved problem but optimizing the process is still an area of active research. Any pumping application -- from industrial scales to heating systems at home -- would benefit from a reduction in energy demands. Researchers now showed how pulsed pumping can reduce both friction from and energy consumption of pumping. For this, they took inspiration from a pumping system intimately familiar to everyone: the human heart.

Anthropology: Early Humans Anthropology: General Biology: Evolutionary Ecology: Animals Ecology: Trees Offbeat: General Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Human shoulders and elbows first evolved as brakes for climbing apes      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers report that the flexible shoulders and elbows that allow us to throw a football or reach a high shelf may have evolved as a natural braking system that let our primate ancestors get out of trees without dying. The researchers used sports-analysis software to compare the climbing movements of chimpanzees and small monkeys called mangabeys. While the animals climb up trees similarly, the researchers found that the shallow, rounded shoulder joints and shortened elbow bones that chimps have -- similar to humans -- allow them to fully extend their arms above their heads when climbing down, holding onto branches like a person going down a ladder to support their greater weight. When early humans left forests for the grassy savanna, these versatile appendages would have been essential for gathering food and using tools for hunting and defense. The findings are among the first to identify the significance of 'downclimbing' in the evolution of apes and early humans.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Engineering: Nanotechnology Physics: General Physics: Optics
Published

Atomic-scale spin-optical laser: New horizon of optoelectronic devices      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Researchers have pushed the limits of the possible in the field of atomic-scale spin-optics, creating a spin-optical laser from monolayer-integrated spin-valley microcavities without requiring magnetic fields or cryogenic temperatures.

Biology: Botany Chemistry: Biochemistry Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Trees Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Wood modification boosts biomass conversion      (via sciencedaily.com) 

By adding a naturally-occurring polymer that makes wood more porous, scientists have engineered trees easier to disassemble into simpler building blocks.