Researchers identified the 32-atom 'baby crystal' through computer simulations and experimentally confirmed its structure using scanning tunneling microscope images. The discovery provides insight into how small crystals form larger units.
A new endoscope has been developed to locate and clear out gallstones and lesions without removing the entire gallbladder. The device uses a tiny ultrasonic probe to detect small stones and a horn-shaped 'absorbing box' to suck out fine, difficult-to-remove sludge-like gallstones.
Researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Dioxide Materials have developed a chemical sensor using randomly stacked graphene flakes. The thin films of flaky graphene outperformed previous sensors made from carbon nanotubes or graphene crystals, detecting trace amounts of test chemicals with high reliability.
A team of researchers has created a 'write-once-read-many-times' DNA-based memory device that can encode information using ultraviolet light. The device, made from salmon DNA and silver nanoparticles, retains information indefinitely.
Engineers created graphene's pseudo-piezoelectric behavior by punching triangle-shaped holes into it, producing strong piezoelectricity comparable to well-known substances like quartz. The results have the potential to open new avenues for graphene and applications relying on piezoelectricity.
Researchers found a method to damage adenoviruses using plasma in the lab environment, reducing viral activity by up to 99%. The technique could lead to safer stem-cell therapies for patients at risk of life-threatening infections.
Researchers developed a microfluidic device to produce stable, biocompatible lipid vesicles that mimic natural cell membranes. This breakthrough overcomes previous hurdles by generating precisely sized droplets in an oil environment, producing an oil-and-water membrane for lipid assembly.
Researchers developed a new navigation system that can accurately steer microbots through complex blood vessels, enabling precise drug delivery or tumor destruction. The system uses an external magnetic field to generate two distinct types of microbot movements: helical and translational motions.
Researchers at VirginiaTech have improved Robojelly's performance by introducing a flexible margin, reducing folding and increasing speed. The upgrade provides new insights into jellyfish propulsion mechanisms, enabling the robot to detect chemical spills, monitor ships and submarines, and observe fish migration.
A team of researchers performed new 3-D calculations to better understand the complex conditions driving Type Ia supernovae. The simulations provide insight into the deflagration-to-detonation transition process, which is crucial for calculating cosmic distances and understanding the evolution of the universe.
Scientists have discovered that unconfined flames can spontaneously form detonations in reactive gases and astrophysical systems, providing a missing link for theoretical models of Type la supernovae. The research team used computer simulations to study the deflagration-to-detonation transition in hydrogen-air and methane-air mixtures.
Researchers created a new design for mechanical heart valves that closely matches the pattern and rate of blood flow found in healthy hearts. The asymmetric valves improved cardiac function, reducing the effort required by the heart muscle and restoring its regulatory mechanism.
Researchers created a multilayered silicon structure with air-trapping features that improve water repellency, also absorbing light in the infrared range. This biologically-inspired surface has potential uses in electro-optical devices and chemical sensors.
Researchers have developed a promising replacement for plastics using amorphous bulk metallic glass (ABM) alloys. These alloys offer excellent electron emission properties and robust thermal stability, making them suitable for various applications such as field emission devices, electron microscopes, and modern display devices.
Researchers used state-of-the-art instrumentation to track wave motion and measure liquid velocity, discovering that orbital shaking enhances mixing near the glass wall. The study suggests optimal shaking diameter and rotation speed for improved mixing and oxygenation in bioreactors.
A team of researchers has discovered that a thin layer of air trapped between the drop and the surface plays a crucial role in splashing. The study reveals a transition regime between spreading and splashing, observed by changing impact velocity or ambient pressure.
Researchers at the University of Michigan have developed a method to make 3D objects invisible using carbon nanotube forests. By growing a forest of low-density aligned carbon nanotubes on top of an object, it can absorb light and scatter reflections, effectively camouflaging its structure.
Rainfall is suspected to trigger the spread of foliar diseases, affecting agriculture and forestry. Researchers studied a single rain droplet's impact on leaves, finding two patterns of droplet ejection that lead to disease transmission. The study provides guidance for farmers on optimal plant spacing to prevent disease spread.
Engineers have created a prototype air sampling system that can quickly blow particles off the surfaces of shoes and suck them away for analysis. The system uses air jets to dislodge particles from shoe surfaces, ensuring all liberated particles are transported in the appropriate direction.
The APS/DFD Virtual Press Room features a gallery of evocative images and animations that bring the science of fluid dynamics to life. These visual representations provide important scientific insights into complex flow phenomena.
Researchers at the University of Canterbury developed a new method to generate extra-long electrical arcs using exploding copper wires, reducing the amount of voltage needed by more than 95%. The technique has potential applications in inducing real lightning from thunderclouds and creating novel electrical machines.
Researchers have developed a new hybrid detector that can monitor alpha, beta, and gamma radiation simultaneously. The device uses three scintillators to distinguish between the different types of radiation, allowing it to provide accurate counts for all three simultaneously.
Scientists have developed a microscope that utilizes compression sensing to gather molecular vibration information with increased resolution and reduced time. The new method has been applied to sum frequency generation microscopes, resulting in images with 16 times more pixel density than traditional scanning techniques.
Researchers will present groundbreaking studies on fluid dynamics at the APS conference, covering topics from mosquito flight in rain to wine swirling mechanisms and mechanical heart valve design. The meeting aims to bring together experts from around the world to share their findings.
Researchers created a dry tape inspired by insects' hairy feet, showing improved adhesive properties and resistance to peeling. The tape can be reused thousands of times without losing its grip, making it suitable for various applications.
Researchers have successfully fabricated ultrananocrystalline diamond nanowires with exceptional electrical properties, including sensitivity to gas molecule adsorption at grain boundaries. The discovery offers new possibilities for advanced nanoscale sensors.
A team of scientists found that plutonium clusters adhere more strongly to mineral surfaces than individual ions, which could help contain its spread into the environment. This strong adherence could minimize the leakage of nuclear waste from steel barrels.
Graphene's unique properties, including fast electron mobility and high mechanical strength, make it suitable for fast analog electronics. Researchers are working to improve synthetic graphene quality and study its behavior in technology conditions.
Researchers find tau proteins interact with negatively charged lipids on cell membranes, causing protein aggregation and neuronal death. Compounds that prevent protein interaction with membranes offer hope for Alzheimer's patients.
Researchers at the University of Texas at Dallas and Washington State University have discovered a way to break down and capture individual hydrogen atoms using an aluminum alloy. This breakthrough could lead to a robust and affordable fuel storage system, enabling the widespread use of hydrogen as a renewable energy source.
Scientists have developed a technique using scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) to view proteins tagged with gold nanoparticles in whole, intact cells. This method offers ten times better resolution than optical microscopes and could help study cancer processes and understand how viruses hijack healthy cells.
Duke University researchers have developed a reusable DNA chip that can synthesize multiple batches of DNA building blocks and fold them into unique nanostructures. They successfully reused the chip tens of times without significant degradation, paving the way for applications in synthetic biology, drug delivery, and nanotechnology.
Researchers find that icy dust specks on interstellar clouds can speed up chemical reactions, forming complex organic molecules. This discovery sheds light on the origins of life in the Universe, suggesting that these dust grains may play a crucial role in seeding galaxies with chemical potential for life.
Scientists are creating greener technology to prevent marine biofouling, a problem that costs the US Navy over $50 million annually. Researchers have developed stimuli-responsive surfaces that can shake off slime, inspired by nature's own anti-fouling systems.
Researchers have developed a new technique using low-temperature plasmas to deactivate potentially harmful biomolecules, including those that can cause severe medical problems. The study's findings suggest that the effectiveness of this method may depend on the composition of the plasma.
Researchers have successfully modified polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) to make it nearly a million times more wear-resistant. They use atomic force microscopes and nanoparticles to study the effects of friction on wear and develop new materials to eliminate wear.
Researchers are developing innovative technologies to improve hearing, including adaptive noise control and speech enhancement. Additionally, musical training has been shown to enhance speech perception, while artificial ears inspired by bats and ultrasounds are being explored for medical applications.
Researchers have developed a compact Raman spectrograph that can monitor blood sugar levels without daily finger pricks. The new design is five to 20 times smaller than previous models, enabling the creation of portable devices that could also detect other disease markers and identify cancerous tissue.
Researchers have developed a biosensor using carbon nanotubes that can detect salmonella bacteria, offering a potential solution to preventing food poisoning. The device's sensitivity and specificity make it a promising tool for controlling food safety outbreaks.
Scientists studied how fluids travel through nanoscale channels and found that methyl alcohol diffused much faster in one direction due to the shape of the pores. The discovery has far-reaching implications for novel microscopic materials, including nanotubes and drug delivery systems.
A new type of detector uses a CCD image sensor chip in an off-the-shelf X-ray camera to measure both particle energy and spatial location. The device successfully detects molecules containing carbon and hydrogen at energies above 1 MeV, opening up new avenues for complex molecule research
Scientists have discovered a common defect in diamonds that may be suitable for use in quantum computers. The nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center's energy level properties were studied using cryogenic temperatures.
Researchers created a computer model that calculates the probability of benzocaine molecules entering a cell's membrane based on its composition. The model predicts that membranes made mostly of negatively charged phospholipid DPPS present less barrier to benzocaine, leading to safer and more effective use.
Researchers at NASA developed a flexible memory fabric that can retain information for over 100 days, using copper-oxide fibers as the storage medium. The technology enables e-textiles to detect biomarkers, monitor vital signs, and transmit data to doctors.
Physicists from the University of Pisa and the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche have put an end to the debate on the glass transition temperature of water. They found that the magic number is approximately 136 Kelvin (-137 Celsius) using a thorough study of water's dynamics, supporting traditional views and refuting recent claims.
A team of researchers has proposed a method to harness parabolic mirrors to drive solar-powered lasers, achieving an impressive 35% conversion rate. The new solar lasers would concentrate light with a small parabolic mirror, strike a ceramic disk, and emit laser light of a specific wavelength.
Researchers have developed a novel antireflective coating using randomly oriented silicon nanowires, capturing a broad spectrum of light waves and increasing solar cell efficiency. The process is relatively inexpensive and could be scaled up for large manufacturing operations.
Researchers from the University of Notre Dame have developed a graphene-based modulator that significantly expands the terahertz signal's modulation range to over 90 percent. This breakthrough replaces traditional metal gates with graphene, enabling more versatile applications in communications, medical imaging, and chemical detection.
Researchers propose using silicon wires to encode information via electron spin, offering faster data transfer and lower energy usage. The new scheme may one day shape emerging technologies.
Researchers developed a new type of laser scanning confocal microscope that can gather spectrographic information from every point in a sample at a wide range of wavelengths in a single scan. This allows for high-resolution pictures and potential detection of early signs of melanoma.