Новости за 17.03.2022

Researchers have constructed a new time series for global carbon emissions from deforestation. The series is the missing link in terms of the improved understanding of the global carbon cycle, and it implies that the natural uptake of CO2 by the land and oceans is more efficient than previously assumed.

Cells use RNA as a versatile tool to regulate the activity of their genes. Small snippets of RNA can fine-tune how much protein is produced from various genes; some small RNAs can shut genes off altogether. An enzyme called Dicer chops RNA into smaller pieces: plants use it to chew up the RNA of invading viruses; worms use it to shut genes off during development; and humans use it to produce gene-regulating microRNAs. Dicer is also of interest because mutations in the gene for the enzyme appear to contribute to some human cancers... Читать дальше...

The quest for thermoelectric materials that efficiently convert changes in temperature into electric voltage is challenging. For optimal performance, a material must conduct small amounts of heat and large amounts of electricity. However, crystal structure and electrons that carry electricity also carry heat. Researchers have identified black phosphorus (BP) as a candidate for novel applications. Doping BP with arsenic results in a two-dimensional (2D) material with a structure that may break the link between heat and electrical conductivity. Читать дальше...

Marine cold spells are cold versions of heat waves: periods of exceptionally cold water, able to hurt or help the ecosystems they hit. As the atmosphere and oceans warm, marine cold spells are becoming less intense and less frequent overall, according to a new study.

Carbon exhibits a remarkable tendency to form nanomaterials with unusual physical and chemical properties, arising from its ability to engage in different bonding states. Many of these "next-generation" nanomaterials, which include nanodiamonds, nanographite, amorphous nanocarbon and nano-onions, are currently being studied for possible applications spanning quantum computing to bio-imaging. Ongoing research suggests that high-pressure synthesis using carbon-rich organic precursors could lead to... Читать дальше...

Researchers looking to identify some of the most difficult "finds" in archeology—including sites used by nomadic hunter-gatherer communities—are tapping technology to help in the search.

In recent years, physicists have discovered materials that are able to switch their electrical character from a metal to an insulator, and even to a superconductor, which is a material in a friction-free state that allows electrons to flow with zero resistance. These materials, which include "magic-angle" graphene and other synthesized two-dimensional materials, can shift electrical states depending on the voltage, or current of electrons, that is applied.

The National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) has succeeded in developing a new approach to the design of thermoelectric materials by constructing a database of electronic structure parameters correlated with materials' thermoelectric conversion properties and by a comprehensive analysis of the database. This approach can be used to develop higher performance thermoelectric materials.

A potential cornucopia of neuroactive compounds, which might yield clues to the design of future psychiatric and neurological drugs, has become more accessible to synthetic chemists, thanks to new work from Scripps Research.

Men in executive leadership positions receive over $500,000 more in severance compensation than women, according to researchers from the University of New Hampshire and the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Researchers say a gender pay gap exists in average severance compensation packages between male and female executives in large, publicly traded American companies.

Researchers at the Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy and the Chair of Thermal Process Technology at Friedrich–Alexander University (FAU) have succeeded in making invisible hydrogen gas visible to the naked eye in order to prevent the risk of fires and explosions. The key to their research is supraparticles, tiny particles that change color as soon as they come near hydrogen. The results have been published in the journal Advanced Functional Materials.

Does language shape thought? Do the languages we speak affect how we live our lives? These are some of the oldest questions in the cognitive and social sciences, and a handful of high-profile research articles in the social sciences have argued that language systematically affects people's values, beliefs and behaviors.

Photonic integrated circuits are essential to many technologies, including fiber-optic communications, mapping systems, and biosensors.

Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are the brightest millisecond-duration astronomical transients in radio bands with a yet unknown origin.

Forest restoration schemes should prioritize restoring native forests for greatest climate and environmental benefits, but these benefits incur a trade-off with wood production in comparison with tree plantations.

Humans reshape the environments where they live, with cities being among the most profoundly transformed environments on Earth. New research now shows that these urban environments are altering the way life evolves.

Methanotrophic bacteria consume 30 million metric tons of methane per year and have captivated researchers for their natural ability to convert the potent greenhouse gas into usable fuel. Yet we know very little about how the complex reaction occurs, limiting our ability to use the double benefit to our advantage.

Think evolution is a slow, gradual process? Tell that to fruit flies. In a new report in Science, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania used a controlled field experiment to show that flies rapidly adapted to shifting environmental conditions with alterations throughout their genome and in a suite of physical characteristics.

A new study shows that smoke from wildfires destroys the ozone layer. Researchers caution that if major fires become more frequent with a changing climate, more damaging ultraviolet radiation from the sun will reach the ground.

NASA's massive new rocket is poised to make its first journey to a launchpad on Thursday ahead of a battery of tests that will clear it to blast off to the Moon this summer.

A new report summarizes the findings of an international events series hosted by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) last year in the run up to the COP26 climate change conference in Glasgow.

Since 2013, China has implemented a series of emission reduction policies, such as the "Clean Air Action" and the "Blue Sky Protection Campaign." Accordingly, the concentrations of air pollutants have generally decreased significantly. However, PM2.5 pollution still occurs in China under unfavorable weather conditions. El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is the strongest signal that modulates the interannual variations in the ocean–atmosphere system near the equator. It oscillates between its warm... Читать дальше...

A team at HZB has developed a method of experimentally unraveling tautomeric mixtures. Based on resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS) at BESSY II, not only proportions of the tautomers can be deduced, but the properties of each individual tautomer can be studied selectively. This method could yield to detailed information on the properties of molecules and their biological function. In the present study, now advertised on the cover of The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters, the technique... Читать дальше...

Rising heat, noise and air pollution, and dwindling green spaces—due to climate change and population growth, cities are facing more and more challenges. How can we tackle them? "A crucial factor is urban planning. The design and use of street space influences the residents' quality of life and has the potential to significantly improve urban climate," explains Empa researcher Sven Eggimann. In a new study, published in Nature Sustainability, he investigated which city layouts offer potential for... Читать дальше...

While methane accounts for about 16% of the abundance in the atmosphere of greenhouse gases—which also include carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, water vapor—it is more than 25 times better than carbon dioxide at trapping heat. Two-thirds of global methane release is believed to be through natural emission during anaerobic activity of primitive single-celled microorganisms called archaea. Understanding the precise mechanism by which archaea produce methane could lead to technology that reduces methane... Читать дальше...