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Topological fingerprints.

Scientists at the UNSW have made a breakthrough in the search for the topological magnetic monopole referred to as the Berry curvature. They identified an unconventional Hall effect, driven by an in-plane magnetic field in semiconductor hole systems, stemming from the Berry curvature.

Their insights are published in Physical Review Letters: http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.126.256601

#sciencenews #physics
New high-temperature semiconductors.

Skoltech researchers have investigated the properties of novel lanthanum and yttrium ternary hydrides. By alloying the two metals they increased both the stability and the critical temperature for superconductivity.

The properties of the alloys are described in the journal Materials Today: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1369702121001309?via%3Dihub
#sciencenews #physics
Biomass to biofuel.

A Technical University of Munich team has determined the role of water molecules in the process of converting biomass to biofuels with zeolitic catalysts. Their insights should enable increased reactivity at low temperatures, improving the energy efficiency of the process.

The preliminary report has been published in Science: https://science.sciencemag.org/content/372/6545/952

#sciencenews #environment #energy
Integrated frequency combs.

Research from Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne has shown how entire optical frequency comb systems can be integrated in a silicon-based platform. Their process is compatible with standard foundry fabrication methods, allowing its scalable implementation to optical communications devices.

Their method is detailed in Science: https://science.sciencemag.org/content/373/6550/99.abstract

#sciencenews #physics
AI in 3D printing.

Additive manufacturing allows on-demand production. However, the performance of the final object is hard to predict. A team at the University of Texas has shown that neural networks can be used to better understand the processes.

The study is published in the journal Computational Methods: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0045782521002474?via%3Dihub

#sciencenews #AI #3dprinting
Massive white dwarf.

Astronomers at the Zwicky Transient Facility have discovered the smallest and most massive white dwarf ever seen, formed from the merger of a binary system of two smaller white dwarfs. The star has a mass greater than the Sun, but a size closer to that of the Moon.

The discovery has recently been published in Nature: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03615-y

#sciencenews #astronomy
Long-life lithium batteries.

Researchers at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have increased the lifetime of lithium-metal electric vehicle batteries to a record level by using microscale structured anodes. This is an important step towards the goal of lighter, cheaper, and longer-lasting electric vehicle batteries.

Their latest results are published in Nature Energy: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41560-021-00852-3

#sciencenews #physics #chemistry #energy
Nano-cleaners.

University of Colorado Boulder researchers have found that tiny, self-propelled particles can swim to escape from mazes as much as 20 times faster than passive particles, paving the way for their use in cleaning waste from hard to reach areas.

Their nanosystem is described in PNAS: http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2101807118
#sciencenews #nanomaterials #environment
Hawking’s black hole theorem - confirmed.

Hawking’s central law for black holes predicts that the area of their event horizons should never shrink. Physicists at MIT have confirmed Hawking's theorem using experimental observations of gravitational waves.

Their confirmation is published in Physical Review Letters: https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.127.011103
#sciencenews #astronomy
Fast nanographene synthesis.

A group of researchers at Nagoya University, Japan have developed a new method for quickly and efficiently synthesising nanographenes. They used an APEX reaction with polycyclic aromatic templates to controllably synthesise a range of different nanographenes.

Their work has been published in Nature Communications: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-24261-y
#sciencenews #nanomaterials
Gene editing in space.

Researchers from the Genes in Space program have developed and successfully demonstrated a novel method for studying how cells repair damaged DNA in space. They used CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing to create controlled damage to DNA strands, before observing the self-repair mechanisms in detail.

Their methods are described in PLOS ONE: http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0253403
#sciencenews #biology #genetics
How Covid-19 affects the blood.

Researchers at the Max-Planck-Zentrum für Physik und Medizin showed that Covid-19 significantly changes the size and stiffness of red and white blood cells over periods of months. These results could explain why some people continue to experience symptoms long after the infection.

Their work is published in the Biophysical Journal: https://www.cell.com/biophysj/fulltext/S0006-3495(21)00454-9

#sciencenews #medicine #immunology
Nanomaterials in the brain.
A University of Birmingham team have found that metal-based nanomaterials can cross an in vitro model of the blood-brain barrier as both particles and dissolved ions. The physiochemical properties of the nanomaterials influence their penetration efficiency.
The research is reported in PNAS: https://www.pnas.org/content/118/18/e2021915118
#sciencenews #biology
Replacing endoscopy.

A study from the University of Houston reports a step forward in diagnosing intestinal diseases, including colorectal cancer, ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease using stool proteins. The non-invasive test could lead to the replacement of endoscopy as the diagnostic tool of choice.

The study is published in Nature Communications: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-24235-0
#sciencenews #medicine
Life on Enceladus?

A new study published in Nature Astronomy by scientists at the @University of Arizona suggests an unknown methane-producing process is likely at work in the hidden ocean beneath the icy shell of Saturn's moon Enceladus. The unexpected presence of methane could be a sign of life in the depths of the moon.

The paper is available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41550-021-01372-6
#sciencenews #astronomy
Breaking down carbon dioxide.

A two-dimensional, five-metal alloy developed at Washington University has been shown to be an excellent catalyst for the reduction of carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide. The material could be used to help combat the rising levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

The work has recently been published in Advanced Materials: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/adma.202100347
#sciencenews #chemistry
Sheer Perfection.

A research team at UC Berkeley has developed a nanoparticle composite that grows into 3D crystals. The 3D polymer-grafted nanoparticles could lead to new technologies that are 3D-grown rather than 3D-printed.

Their work has been published in Nature Communications: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-22950-2
#sciencenews #nanomaterials
Artificial photosynthesis.

University of Nagoya scientists have investigated the effects of doping on surface recombination in strontium titanate to enable the design of efficient catalysts for artificial photosynthetic processes. Photocatalysts with lower surface recombination could help to develop efficient energy sources.

The results can be found in the Journal of Physics D: https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1361-6463/ac073e

#sciencenews #energy