Matter and energy from Science Daily Feed

A new study could lead to more widespread use of imaging technique to improve survival and prevent complications.

A team has developed an explainable AI model for automatic collision avoidance between ships.

Diamonds with certain optically active defects can be used as highly sensitive sensors or qubits for quantum computers, where the quantum information is stored in the electron spin state of these colour centeres. However, the spin states have to be read out optically, which is often experimentally complex. Now, a team has developed an elegant method using a photo voltage to detect the individual and local spin states of these defects. This could lead to a much more compact design of quantum sensors.

Growing cells in the laboratory is an art that humans have mastered decades ago. Recreating entire three-dimensional tissues is much more challenging. Researchers are developing a new hydrogel-based material that makes it possible to engineer artificial skin tissues, which can serve as living three-dimensional models of human skin for better understanding and treating skin diseases.

Researchers have developed a machine learning workflow to optimize the output force of photo-actuated organic crystals. Using LASSO regression to identify key molecular substructures and Bayesian optimization for efficient sampling, they achieved a maximum blocking force of 37.0 mN -- 73 times more efficient than conventional methods. These findings could help develop remote-controlled actuators for medical devices and robotics, supporting applications such as minimally invasive surgery and precision drug delivery.

A researcher has analyzed the most frequent situations faced by football goalkeepers. The aim is to compile data to facilitate the design of more effective training. The work stresses the importance of practicing the deflections and first touch shots that are produced.

Researchers have demonstrated a way to use corn protein to improve the performance of lithium-sulfur batteries, a finding that holds promise for expanding the use of the high-energy, lighter-weight batteries in electric vehicles, renewable energy storage and other applications.

Desalination plants, a major and growing source of freshwater in dry regions, could produce less harmful waste using electricity and new membranes.

Researchers share a model that identifies the optimal location for bowling ball placement. Employing a system of six differential equations derived from Euler's equations for a rotating rigid body, their model creates a plot that shows the best conditions for a strike. The model accounts for a variety factors, including the thin layer of oil applied to bowling lanes, the motion of the subtly asymmetric bowling ball, and a 'miss-room' to allow for human inaccuracies.

Ambisonic rendering is a way to simulate the precise locations of sounds in 3D, and an ambisonics algorithm has allowed researchers to create rich virtual 'soundscapes.'Researchers decided to test the limits of ambisonic sound reproduction through their 'AudioDome' loudspeaker array. Humans' spatial acuity is high in front of our faces but decreases around the sides of our head, and the researchers' experiments obtained very similar results from listeners in the AudioDome, proving that the loudspeaker array can reproduce sound locations at a spatial scale beyond the human limits of perception.

Identifying a key protein's role could improve the common mental health medications and point to new treatments for inflammation-related diseases, a medicinal chemist says.

There are roof shapes and ratios that maximize heat retainment and energy efficiency and, interestingly, ancient Italian architects and builders seemed to know it, too.

Neural networks are one typical structure on which artificial intelligence can be based. The term neural describes their learning ability, which to some extent mimics the functioning of neurons in our brains. To be able to work, several key ingredients are required: one of them is an activation function which introduces nonlinearity into the structure. A photonic activation function has important advantages for the implementation of optical neural networks based on light propagation. Researchers have now experimentally shown an all-optically controlled activation function based on traveling sound waves. It is suitable for a wide range of optical neural network approaches and allows operation in the so-called synthetic frequency dimension.

Microplastics and the much smaller nanoplastics enter the human body in various ways, for example through food or the air we breathe. A large proportion is excreted, but a certain amount remains in organs, blood and other body fluids. Scientists have now been able to develop a method for detecting and quantifying nanoplastics in transparent body fluids and determining their chemical composition.

Researchers have developed a new forecasting model that helps companies more accurately estimate how many customers are interested in a product -- even when key data is missing. The study introduces a mathematical modeling method that enables businesses to estimate customer interest beyond just completed transactions and traditional forecasting techniques. The approach offers a more precise way to understand demand, optimize operations and improve decision-making.

A team discovers a new family of enzymes capable of inducing targeted cuts in single-stranded DNA A few years ago, the advent of technology known as CRISPR was a major breakthrough in the scientific world. Developed from a derivative of the immune system of bacteria, CRISPR enables double strands of nucleotides in deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) to be cut. This makes it possible to specifically modify a targeted gene in plant, animal and human cells. Ultimately, CRISPR became a preferred method in the search for treatments for acquired or hereditary diseases.

Engineers discovered a way to move heat ultrafast using crystal waves, offering a breakthrough in cooling advanced electronics.

CT scans may account for 5% of all cancers annually, according to a new study that cautions against overusing and overdosing CTs. The danger is greatest for infants, followed by children and adolescents. But adults also are at risk, since they are the most likely to get scans.

Deep sea mining operations are expected to increase the negative impact on environmental indicators by up to 13 per cent, a change categorized as having 'great' significance, relative to the 'without' DSM scenario, notably through increased coastal vulnerability, pollution, and biodiversity loss.

MXenes are materials with almost miraculous properties: they can be used for electromagnetic shielding, for energy storage or for novel sensors. It was recently found that they are also amazingly suitable as solid lubricants, even under the harshest conditions, for example in space technology. The only problem so far has been that producing these MXenes was considered extremely dangerous and toxic. But now a new method has been developed: instead of a toxic acid, electricity is used.