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Categories: Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry, Ecology: Nature
Published A new plant's name that tells a story



A new species and genus of fairy lantern, tiny glass-like white plants that feed on fungi, has been discovered in Japan. In the country renowned for its extensive flora research, the discovery of a new plant genus is extremely rare and has not occurred in almost 100 years.
Published A bright idea for recycling rare-earth phosphors from used fluorescent bulbs



Recycling facilities collect glass and mercury from thrown away fluorescent bulbs, but discarded lighting could also supply rare-earth metals for reuse. The 17 metals referred to as rare earths aren't all widely available and aren't easily extracted with existing recycling methods. Now, researchers have found a simpler way to collect slightly magnetic particles that contain rare-earth metals from spent fluorescent bulbs.
Published Bottlenecks and beehives: How an invasive bee colony defied genetic expectations



An invasive Asian honeybee colony in northern Australia has defied expectations, displaying emergent genetic variation in a short period of time. While bad news for biosecurity agencies, it could be a sign that species under pressure from climate change can be resilient.
Published The veil varies more than the threat: Predator selection on variability in camouflage and warning signals



Researchers leveraged open-access digital collections to validate an age-old hypothesis in evolutionary ecology. The classic hypothesis proposes that predators select for a great variety of camouflage and a limited variety of warning signals, but the idea has never been tested on natural prey.
Published Older African elephants will be most severely affected by the changing climate



Older elephants in East Africa will be most severely impacted by climate change, threatening the long-term survival of this vulnerable African mammal, according to a new study.
Published African great apes predicted to see frequent extreme climate events in the next 30 years



African apes are already being exposed to climate change impacts, and will experience extreme events such as wildfires, heatwaves and flooding more frequently in the next 30 years, according to a new study.
Published Study reveals accelerated soil priming under climate warming



A new study highlights a crucial biosphere feedback mechanism and its effects on releasing soil carbon into the atmosphere.
Published Study finds drought fuels invasive species after wildfires



Scientists uncover the intricate dance between drought, wildfires and invasive species in Southern California's coastal sage scrub ecosystems.
Published How molecular 'handedness' emerged in early biology



Chemists fill a major gap in origin-of-life theories.
Published Under pressure: New tool for precise measurement of superconductors



Researchers think they have a foundational tool for the thorny problem of how to measure and image the behavior of hydride superconductors at high pressure. They report creatively integrating quantum sensors into a diamond anvil cell, enabling direct readouts of the pressurized material's electrical and magnetic properties.
Published Climate change shrinking fish



Fish weight in the western North Pacific Ocean dipped in the 2010s due to warmer water limiting food supplies, according to a new study. Researchers analyzed the individual weight and overall biomass of 13 species of fish. In the 1980s and 2010s, the fish were lighter. They attributed the first period of weight loss to greater numbers of Japanese sardine, which increased competition with other species for food. During the 2010s, while the number of Japanese sardine and chub mackerel moderately increased, the effect of climate change warming the ocean appears to have resulted in more competition for food, as cooler, nutrient-dense water could not easily rise to the surface. These results have implications for fisheries and policymakers trying to manage ocean resources under future climate change scenarios.
Published Researchers develop novel method to photosynthesize hydrogen peroxide using water and air



Researchers have developed a microporous covalent organic framework with dense donor-acceptor lattices and engineered linkages for the efficient and clean production of hydrogen peroxide through the photosynthesis process with water and air.
Published Light stimulates a new twist for synthetic chemistry



Molecules that are induced by light to rotate bulky groups around central bonds could be developed into photo-activated bioactive systems, molecular switches, and more.
Published Counting rays: Aerial surveys reveal ample populations in Southeast Florida



A unique long-term study quantified the abundance of whitespotted eagle and giant manta rays in Southeast Florida. Researchers conducted 120 survey flights between 2014 and 2021 from Miami north to the Jupiter Inlet. One or both species were seen on nearly every flight and both populations appear to be stable in the region. The giant manta rays were more abundant in the south and the whitespotted eagle rays were found all along the coast. Neither species seems to be deterred by the greater human population density in Fort Lauderdale/Miami.
Published Diamonds are a chip's best friend



New technologies aim to produce high-purity synthetic crystals that become excellent semiconductors when doped with impurities as electron donors or acceptors of other elements. Researchers have now determined the magnitude of the spin-orbit interaction in acceptor-bound excitons in a semiconductor. They broke through the energy resolution limit of conventional luminescence measurements by directly observing the fine structure of bound excitons in boron-doped blue diamond, using optical absorption.
Published Extinctions could result as fish change foraging behavior in response to rising temperatures



Fish species respond to temperature increases by going after more readily available prey. Models suggest this behavior could lead to more extinctions.
Published Researchers use Hawk supercomputer and lean into imperfection to improve solar cell efficiency



Solar energy is one of the most promising, widely adopted renewable energy sources, but the solar cells that convert light into electricity remains a challenge. Scientists have turned to the High-Performance Computing Center Stuttgart to understand how strategically designing imperfections in the system could lead to more efficient energy conversion.
Published Imaging grain boundaries that impede lithium-ion migration in solid-state batteries



A research team has developed a new technique to image grain boundaries obstructing lithium-ion migration in solid-state batteries -- a promising type of next-generation battery.
Published AI-driven lab speeds catalysis research



Researchers have developed a 'self-driving' lab that uses artificial intelligence (AI) and automated systems to provide in-depth analyses of catalytic reactions used in chemical research and manufacturing. The new tool, called Fast-Cat, can provide more information in five days than is possible in six months of conventional testing.
Published 'Janitors' of the Sea: Overharvested sea cucumbers play crucial role in protecting coral



Researchers discovered that sea cucumbers -- sediment-eating organisms that function like autonomous vacuum cleaners of the ocean floor -- play an enormous role in protecting coral from disease.