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Categories: Biology: Evolutionary, Energy: Technology
Published How bread dough gave rise to civilization
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A major international study has explained how bread wheat helped to transform the ancient world on its path to becoming the iconic crop that today helps sustain a global population of eight billion.
Published Smart fabric converts body heat into electricity
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have developed a smart fabric that can convert body heat and solar energy into electricity, potentially enabling continuous operation with no need for an external power source. Different sensors monitoring temperature, stress, and more can be integrated into the material.
Published A method that paves the way for improved fuel cell vehicles
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source More efficient and longer-lasting fuel cells are essential for fuel cell-powered heavy-duty hydrogen vehicles to be an alternative to combustion fuelled counterparts. Researchers have developed an innovative method to study and understand how parts of fuel cells degrade over time. This is an important step towards the improved performance of fuel cells and them becoming commercially successful.
Published Decoding the world's largest animal genome
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have sequenced the largest genome of all animals, the lungfish genome. Their data help to explain how the fish-ancestors of today's land vertebrates were able to conquer land.
Published Halogen bonding for selective electrochemical separation, path to sustainable chemical processing demonstrated
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A team has reported the first demonstration of selective electrochemical separation driven by halogen bonding. This was achieved by engineering a polymer that modulates the charge density on a halogen atom when electricity is applied. The polymer then attracts only certain targets -- such as halides, oxyanions, and even organic molecules -- from organic solutions, a feature that has important implications for pharmaceuticals and chemical synthesis processes.
Published Surprising insight into cancer comes from unique plant species that find different solutions to evolutionary challenges
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A study has shown that different plant species tackle the same evolutionary hurdle in different ways, and the findings may give insight into aggressive forms of cancer.
Published Rewriting the evolutionary history of critical components of the nervous system
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study has rewritten the conventionally understood evolutionary history of certain ion channels -- proteins critical for electrical signaling in the nervous system. The study shows that the Shaker family of ion channels were present in microscopic single cell organisms well before the common ancestor of all animals and thus before the origin of the nervous system.
Published Taking a 'one in a million' shot to tackle dopamine-linked brain disorders
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source With the help of a tiny, transparent worm called Caenorhabditis elegans, researchers have identified novel players in dopamine signaling by taking advantage of a powerful platform generated via the Million Mutation Project (MMP) for the rapid identification of mutant genes based on their functional impact. They can seek insights from simpler organisms whose genes bear striking similarity to those found in humans and where opportunities for genetic insights to disease can be pursued more efficiently and inexpensively.
Published Engineers bring efficient optical neural networks into focus
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have published a programmable framework that overcomes a key computational bottleneck of optics-based artificial intelligence systems. In a series of image classification experiments, they used scattered light from a low-power laser to perform accurate, scalable computations using a fraction of the energy of electronics.
Published Increasing solid-state electrolyte conductivity and stability using helical structure
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Solid-state electrolytes have been explored for decades for use in energy storage systems and in the pursuit of solid-state batteries. These materials are safer alternatives to the traditional liquid electrolyte -- a solution that allows ions to move within the cell -- used in batteries today. However, new concepts are needed to push the performance of current solid polymer electrolytes to be viable for next generation materials.
Published Mix of factors prompts owl monkeys to leave their parents
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source There comes a point in the lives of young owl monkeys when they leave their parents and strike out on their own to find a mate. In a new study of a wild population of Azara's owl monkeys in northern Argentina, researchers reveal that a combination of social and ecological factors influences when these tree-dwelling monkeys peel away from their parents and siblings. According to their findings -- which were based on 25 years of genetic and demographic data for several generations of owl monkeys, covering more than 330 individuals -- none of the individuals, regardless of their sex, reproduced in the same group where they were born. In all cases, the researchers found, the animals either departed from their natal group or died before reproducing.
Published Electric bandage holds promise for treating chronic wounds
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have developed an inexpensive bandage that uses an electric field to promote healing in chronic wounds. In animal testing, wounds that were treated with these electric bandages healed 30% faster than wounds treated with conventional bandages.
Published Lemurs use long-term memory, smell, and social cues to find food
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source How do foraging animals find their food? A new study shows that lemurs use smell, social cues, and long-term memory to locate hidden fruit -- a combination of factors that may have deep evolutionary roots.
Published Turning unused signals such as Wi-Fi into energy for electronics
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source We are constantly surrounded by electromagnetic waves such as Wi-Fi. Researchers tested a device to convert this ambient energy into energy for electronic devices.
Published World's highest-performance superconducting wire segment
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers report that they have fabricated the world's highest-performing high-temperature superconducting wire segment while making the price-performance metric significantly more favorable.
Published Living with a killer: How an unlikely mantis shrimp-clam association violates a biological principle
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source When clams gamble on living with a killer, sometimes their luck may run out, according to a new study.
Published Researchers find gene which determines marsupial fur color
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Fur is a defining characteristic of mammals, coming in a wide variety of colors and patterns -- thanks to a world-first study, we now know which genes make a marsupial's coat black or grey.
Published Stacking molecules like plates improves organic solar device performance
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers found that how well light-converting molecules stack together in a solid is important for how well they convert light into electric current. A rigid molecule that stacked well showed excellent electricity generation in an organic solar cell and photocatalyst, easily outperforming a similar flexible molecule that did not stack well. This new way of improving the design of molecules could be used to pioneer the next generation of light-converting devices.
Published Novel ultrafast electron microscopy technique advances understanding of processes applicable to brain-like computing
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A team developed a new microscopy technique that uses electrical pulses to track the nanosecond dynamics within a material that is known to form charge density waves. Controlling these waves may lead to faster and more energy-efficient electronics.
Published Revolutionary loop heat pipe transports 10 kW of waste heat -- No electricity required
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have unveiled a new loop heat pipe capable of transporting up to 10 kW of heat without using electric power. The loop heat pipe's design aims to contribute to energy savings and carbon neutrality in various fields, including waste heat recovery, solar heat utilization, electric vehicle thermal management, and data center cooling.