Topological solitons are created in a robotic metamaterial and move through the chain without needing 'reset' thanks to non-reciprocal interactions. This breakthrough could lead to advancements in robotics, sensing, and communication.
Scientists discovered how water influences collagen formation and assembly. Replacing water with heavy water accelerates collagen production but results in a less stable network. The study's findings offer insights into collagen-related diseases like brittle bone disease and may lead to new materials with controlled mechanical properties.
A recent study by Ellen Algera and colleagues highlights the need for healthcare providers to be more informed about hormone-free and digital contraceptive methods. The researchers found that providers often prioritize risk minimization, leading to a lack of personalized guidance and person-centered care. To address this, Algera calls ...
Researchers have developed a model-free approach to identify topological systems, enabling the discovery of new materials. The method uses experimental approaches to measure topologically protected soft or fragile spots in unknown mechanical metamaterials.
Researchers at Universiteit van Amsterdam developed an autonomous chemical synthesis robot with integrated AI, outperforming human chemists in terms of speed and accuracy. The 'RoboChem' system can perform various reactions while producing minimal waste and delivering results quickly.
Researchers discovered a previously unknown layer of dispersed lead in the ground layer of Rembrandt's The Night Watch, using advanced analytical techniques. This finding sheds light on the artist's inventive approach to painting and highlights his efforts to improve the durability of his masterpieces.
Research reveals that an average of 1,000 times more birds are in the air close to fireworks on New Year's Eve, with effects strongest within the first 5 km. Larger birds like geese and ducks fly for hours at remarkable altitudes, risking accidents.
Researchers developed a modular flow platform to safely execute SuFEx click chemistry, generating toxic sulfuryl fluoride in a controlled manner. The system facilitates rapid functionalization of small molecules, peptides, and proteins.
Researchers demonstrate that microscopic chemical bonds between silicon surfaces control friction, enabling quantitative understanding and control. By regulating bond density through drying time, they predict and control friction force.
Researchers found that newborn babies can perceive a beat in music due to an innate cognitive mechanism active at birth. The study used EEG measurements and manipulated drum rhythms to distinguish between learning the order of sounds and recognizing a beat.
Scientists propose that pulsars could detect dark matter by observing a subtle additional glow. If axions are produced in strong electromagnetic fields around pulsars, they could convert into observable light.
Researchers tracked Bewick's swans using GPS data and found that the birds' wintering areas shift northeast as temperatures rise. The swans' migration patterns are influenced by temperature and wind, with warmer winters allowing them to hibernate further north.
Researchers identify significant room for improvement in NTA studies, citing biased sample preparation, inconsistent reporting, and technology-driven limitations. The study aims to develop new analytical technologies and data analysis protocols to better understand the true chemical space of exposure.
A worldwide study by sixty-two scientists found a relationship between specific emotions and wellbeing during collective stress. Calm and hope are linked to better psychological wellbeing, while anxiety, loneliness, and sadness predict lower wellbeing. Understanding how emotions influence behaviors can improve wellbeing interventions.
A team of researchers has improved photoclick chemistry by engineering the phenanthraquinone triplet state, increasing photoreaction quantum yield and reaction rates. The study's findings pave the way for efficient photoclick transformations with unprecedented efficiency.
Researchers argue that modern chemistry prioritizes novelty over sustainability, neglecting environmental concerns. They advocate for a triple focus on efficiency, safety, and circularity to combat pollution and promote green chemistry. Circular design, life-cycle thinking, and toxicology assessments are key to realising positive impact.
Researchers identified a precise mix of ingredients in male moths' pheromones that increases mating chances. The discovery reveals the role of plant-derived substances, such as methyl salicylate, in attracting females.
Researchers at the UvA have created flexible cobalt chitosan spheres that act as catalysts for hydrogen generation, enabling controlled release and stability. This breakthrough could provide a safe source of hydrogen with high storage capacity.
Researchers found that tobacco hornworm caterpillars introduce an enzyme into plants during feeding, modifying the plant's fragrance to attract predators. This interaction may be beneficial for the caterpillar's development, outweighing any costs associated with its interaction with the plant.
A team of researchers developed a novel computational approach to identify allosteric sites in integrins, revealing previously inaccessible druggable pockets. This breakthrough has the potential to overcome limitations in integrin-targeting medication and open new avenues for drug discovery.
Scientists designed materials with mechanical memory by introducing frustration into their structure, resulting in a new type of order. This breakthrough could be used to create robotic arms and wheels with predictable bending mechanisms, as well as more efficient quantum computers.
Researchers from the University of Amsterdam have created a new class of materials that combine stiffness with vibration-absorbing properties. These 'buckled' materials have a wide range of potential applications across various scales, from aerospace to microscale designs.
Scientists develop elastoactive chains with self-oscillatory, self-synchronizing, and self-snapping behavior, mimicking biological machines. The study explores material properties and potential applications in autonomous robot development.
Researchers developed molecular nanocages for selective siRNA delivery, showing promise in targeting cancer cells. The nanocage composition determines siRNA delivery efficiency, making it possible to tailor the system for specific cell types.
Researchers have derived a formula predicting the effects of environmental noise on quantum computing. By incorporating redundancy in quantum messages, scientists can now quantify how much redundancy is needed to protect against dephasing noise.
Scientists at UvA have created a new, highly improved bright red fluorescent protein called mScarlet3. This variant combines maximum brightness with fast and complete folding, making it an ideal tool for researchers studying cellular processes.
Researchers found that marketing diet or sugar-free versions does not increase overall turnover, but reducing package size leads to an increase in sales figures. Smaller packages also work better when marketed as a fun alternative.
Researchers have created a micrometre-size model of atomic graphene to study defects, which are crucial for the material's properties. The model reveals that common defects form in early stages of growth and lead to stable defect configurations.
Researchers from Universiteit van Amsterdam's Leugenlab have developed a new approach to lie detection that focuses on the level of detail in the story told by the liar. In a series of lab experiments, participants were able to consistently distinguish lies from truths when relying solely on the amount of detail in the story, outperfor...
The study reveals hydrated salts can lose their facets and become soft when slowly dissolved in humid air, exhibiting liquid-like molecular mobility at their surfaces. This finding challenges the conventional understanding of crystal formation and behavior.
Researchers warn conservators about the risks of polar solvents containing water in historical oil paintings. Traces of water accelerate the formation of metal soap crystals, reducing mechanical stability and causing paint to crack and flake. The study provides a new spectroscopic method to estimate zinc soap crystallization risk.
Researchers found that salt concentration is crucial for icicle ripple formation. With increasing salt levels, ripples become stronger and more visible. This discovery explains the rippled patterns on gutters and car bumpers during winter.
A team of biologists from the University of Amsterdam found that water pores in leaves are part of a plant's defence system against pathogenic micro-organisms. The discovery provides insight into how plants defend themselves against bacterial diseases, and may help make agricultural crops more resilient.
Scientists have found that manipulating entanglement in quantum systems is inherently irreversible, ruling out the possibility of a second law. This means that entanglement entropy cannot fully recover invested entanglement, making it impossible to transform states back and forth.
Researchers at the University of Amsterdam found that chloroplasts in plant cells exhibit glassy behavior under low-light conditions, allowing them to quickly move and optimize photosynthesis. In bright light, these 'glassy' states transition into fluid-like phases for efficient movement and light-avoidance.
New research shows that bonobos react faster to emotionally charged photos of strangers than neutral ones, unlike humans who focus on family members' emotions. This finding supports previous studies showing bonobos are xenophilic animals attracted to unfamiliar conspecifics.
Researchers developed a machine learning-based strategy for direct classification of acute aquatic toxicity, explaining 90% of training set variance and 80% of test set variance. The approach resulted in a fivefold decrease in incorrect categorization compared to QSAR regression models.
A large-scale study revealed that entrepreneurs are less at risk of burnout than salaried employees due to the positive psychological effects of entrepreneurial work. Entrepreneurs show less daily work recovery after regular working hours, indicating a 'positive workaholism'. This leads to a lower risk of burnout and increased happiness.
Researchers have overcome the low reactivity of biobased secondary diols in polyester synthesis by incorporating an aryl alcohol. This leads to high molecular weight materials with improved mechanical- and thermal properties, outperforming existing plastics like PET.
A large-scale study has found a clear relationship between the composition of the microbiome and depression. A diverse microbiome was associated with lower rates of depression, while an underrepresented microbiome was linked to increased depressive symptoms. This association is as strong as established risk factors for depression.
Startups with few female employees face difficulties attracting women, leading to a lopsided workforce. To address this issue, companies must acknowledge and communicate their diversity debt, showcasing their commitment to creating a safe environment for women.
A new peer-reviewed article highlights the diversity and complexity of chemicals in plastics, which could severely undermine the global plastics treaty's effectiveness. The study identifies over 10,000 chemical substances used in plastic production, leading to varied chemical compositions among different manufacturers.
Researchers at the University of Amsterdam's Van 't Hoff Institute for Molecular Synthesis have developed a biocatalytic method to synthesize primary, secondary, and tertiary amines containing two stereogenic centers. The method uses a one-pot enzyme cascade, achieving excellent stereoselectivity and high chemical purity.
The researchers developed a novel approach to infrared spectroscopy called Infrared Diffusion-Ordered Spectroscopy (IR-DOSY), which separates molecules with different sizes into distinct sets of IR peaks. This method has potential applications in fields such as proteins, polymers, pharmaceuticals, and biomedicine.
A study from the University of Amsterdam found that right-wing individuals, especially neoliberals, are more susceptible to 'political bullshit' - vague and meaningless statements used in politics. The research suggests that these statements can positively correlate with support for free market ideologies.
Researchers at Universiteit van Amsterdam use fluorescence microscopy and specialized molecules to study the transition from static to dynamic friction. They find that a slip wave propagates from the edge towards the center of the contact area just before sliding occurs.
Research at large events like concerts and festivals shows that individuals exhibit 'bursty' movement patterns, stopping and resting before moving to new locations. This intermittent behavior increases the risk of spreading infectious diseases like COVID-19.
A team of researchers has discovered that gamma-ray radiation from the Sagittarius Dwarf galaxy can be explained by millisecond pulsars, ruling out dark matter annihilation as a possible explanation. The study reveals that these stellar objects are efficient accelerators of high-energy electrons and positrons.
A new study reveals sponges have a unique mechanism to clear their water channels: a sneeze-like process. Sponges release a type of mucus that is consumed by other animals, providing a food source inaccessible to most sea creatures.
Physicists from the University of Amsterdam successfully created a continuous Bose-Einstein Condensate, enabling an eternal atom laser that can produce coherent matter waves. This breakthrough solves the problem of fragile BECs and paves the way for technical applications.