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Categories: Chemistry: Thermodynamics, Ecology: Nature
Published Thermal cloak passively keeps electric vehicles cool in the summer and warm in the winter
(via sciencedaily.com) When an electric vehicle is parked outside, its temperature can swing wildly from day to night and season to season, which can lead to deterioration of the battery. To dampen these fluctuations and extend the battery's lifespan, researchers have designed an all-season thermal cloak that can cool an electric vehicle by 8°C on a hot day and warm it by 6.8°C at night. The cloak, made predominantly of silica and aluminum, can do so passively without outside energy input and operates without any modification between hot or cold weather.
Published The ground is deforming, and buildings aren't ready
(via sciencedaily.com) A new study has linked underground climate change to the shifting ground beneath urban areas. The phenomenon is affecting all major urban areas around the globe, causing civil structures and infrastructures to crack.
Published Sweat it out: Novel wearable biosensor for monitoring sweat electrolytes for use in healthcare and sports
(via sciencedaily.com) Wearable sensors are becoming a promising tool in personalized healthcare and exercise monitoring. In a recent study, researchers develop a novel wearable chemical sensor capable of measuring the concentration of chloride ions in sweat. By using a heat-transfer printing technique, the proposed sensor can be applied to the outer surface of common textiles to prevent skin irritation and allergies, and could also be useful in the early detection of heat stroke and dehydration.
Published Climate-friendly air conditioning inspired by termites
(via sciencedaily.com) The climate control used by termites in their mounds could inspire tomorrow's climate-smart buildings. New research shows that future buildings inspired by the termites could achieve the same effect as traditional climate control, but with greater energy efficiency and without its carbon dioxide footprint.
Published Researchers create highly conductive metallic gel for 3D printing
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers have developed a metallic gel that is highly electrically conductive and can be used to print three-dimensional (3D) solid objects at room temperature.
Published Scientists designed new enzyme using Antarctic bacteria and computer calculations
(via sciencedaily.com) For the first time, researchers have succeeded in predicting how to change the optimum temperature of an enzyme using large computer calculations. A cold-adapted enzyme from an Antarctic bacterium was used as a basis.
Published Soft, ultrathin photonic material cools down wearable electronic devices
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Overheating of wearable skin-like electronic devices increases the risk of skin burning and results in performance degradation. A research team has now invented a photonic material-based 'soft, ultrathin, radiative-cooling interface' that greatly enhances heat dissipation in devices, with temperature drops more than 56°C, offering an alternative for effective thermal management in advanced wearable electronics.
Published Squid-inspired soft material is a switchable shield for light, heat, microwaves
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source With a flick of a switch, current technologies allow you to quickly change materials from being dark to light, or cold to hot, just by blocking or transmitting specific wavelengths. But now, inspired by squid skin, researchers report a soft film that can regulate its transparency across a large range of wavelengths -- visible, infrared and microwave -- simultaneously. They demonstrated the material in smart windows and in health monitoring and temperature management applications.
Published New research finds that more than 90% of global aquaculture faces substantial risk from environmental change
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Many of the world's largest aquatic food producers are highly vulnerable to human-induced environmental change, with some of the highest-risk countries in Asia, Latin America and Africa demonstrating the lowest capacity for adaptation, a landmark study has shown.
Published Megalodon was no cold-blooded killer
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source How the megalodon, a shark that went extinct 3.6 million years ago, stayed warm was a matter of speculation among scientists. Using an analysis of tooth fossils from the megalodon and other sharks of the same period, a study suggests the animal was able to maintain a body temperature well above the temperature of the water in which it lived. The finding could help explain why the megalodon went extinct during the Pliocene Epoch.
Published How coral reefs can survive climate change
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Similar to the expeditions of a hundred or two hundred years ago, the Tara Pacific expedition lasted over two years. The goal: to research the conditions for life and survival of corals. The ship crossed the entire Pacific Ocean, assembling the largest genetic inventory conducted in any marine system to date. The team's 70 scientists from eight countries took around 58,000 samples from the hundred coral reefs studied.
Published Human impact on wildlife even in protected areas
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The largest long-term standardized camera-trap survey to date finds that human activity impacts tropical mammals living in protected areas and sheds light on how different species are affected based on their habitat needs and anthropogenic stressors.
Published Are viruses keeping sea lice at bay in wild salmon?
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source More than 30 previously unknown RNA viruses in sea lice have been identified. Sea lice are parasitic copepods (small crustaceans) found in many fresh and saltwater habitats, and have been implicated in the decline of wild salmon populations. The research sheds greater light on the types of viruses being carried by sea lice, and how the viruses and host are interacting.
Published Traditional methods cannot give us the insights we need to understand changing ecosystems
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source If we want to face up to the challenges posed by climate change and other global environmental changes, we need to bring complexity science into the mix with ecology and biodiversity conservation.
Published Global analysis on pollinators in cities: Wild bees and butterflies are at particular risk
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Butterflies are being hit hardest by urban growth. Shrinking habitats and food availability are causing their populations to decline. The same applies to many wild bees that fly early in spring. According to a new study, pollination has not yet been impacted by this because honeybees, for example, can compensate for the reduction of urban pollinators. The study is the first comprehensive analysis of the subject and includes data from 133 studies. The results underline the importance of nature conservation measures in urban areas.
Published Glass sponge genome furnishes insights into evolution of biomineralization
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The genome of a glass sponge species suggests that silica skeletons evolved independently in several groups of sponges.
Published Conservation policies risk damaging global biodiversity, researchers argue
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Rewilding, organic farming and the 'nature friendly farming' measures included in some government conservation policies risk worsening the global biodiversity crisis by reducing how much food is produced in a region, driving up food imports and increasing environmental damage overseas.
Published 'Shoebox' satellites help scientists understand trees and global warming
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source As scientists try to understand the effect of climate on trees, advances in imaging technology are helping them see both the whole forest and every individual tree. High-resolution images taken by cubesats, small, shoebox-sized devices launched into low Earth orbit, are helping environmental scientists make more precise measurements about trees' response to a warming climate.
Published Inside-out heating and ambient wind could make direct air capture cheaper and more efficient
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Chemical engineers use coated carbon fibers and eliminate steam-based heating in their simpler design, which also can be powered by wind energy.
Published Caribbean seagrasses provide services worth $255B annually, including vast carbon storage, study shows
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Caribbean seagrasses provide about $255 billion in services to society annually, including $88.3 billion in carbon storage, according to a new study. The study has put a dollar value on the many services -- from storm protection to fish habitat to carbon storage -- provided by seagrasses across the Caribbean, which holds up to half the world's seagrass meadows by surface area and contains about one-third of the carbon stored in seagrasses worldwide.