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Physics

Trends in screening for social risk in physician practices

About The Study: In this survey-based cross-sectional study of U.S. physician practices, social risk screening increased substantially from 2017 to 2022, although still less than one-third of practices systematically screened for a set of 5 common social risks (food, housing, utilities, interpersonal violence, and transportation). What remains to be seen is whether practices use these data to help improve patient health by adjusting health care or referring patients for assistance with social needs. As policies and incentives increasingly emphasize social risk screening, it will be important to assess the association of screening and referrals with patient ...

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Physics

John Howington, MD, MBA, FCCP, to become the 87th President of the American College of Chest Physicians

Glenview, IL– Effective January 1, John Howington, MD, MBA, FCCP, is the new President of the American College of Chest Physicians® (CHEST). Neil S. Freedman, MD, FCCP, steps into the role of President-Elect; Lisa Moores, MD, FCCP, is the new President-Designate; and Jack D. Buckley, MD, MPH, FCCP, completes his term as President to become Immediate Past President of CHEST. John Howington, MD, MBA, FCCP, is a practicing thoracic surgeon currently at Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, St. Michael Medical Center, in Silverdale, Washington. Dr. Howington ...

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Physics

Room-temperature non-volatile optical manipulation of polar order in a charge density wave

Peking University, November 15, 2024: Addressing the challenge of controlling electronic states in materials, the scientific community has been exploring innovative methods. Recently, researchers from Peking University, led by Professor Nanlin Wang, in collaboration with Professor Qiaomei Liu and Associate Research Scientist Dong Wu, uncovered how ultrafast lasers can manipulate non-volatile, reversible control over the electronic polar states in the charge-density-wave material EuTe4 at room temperature. ...

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Physics

Unlocking the Future of Superconductors in non-van-der Waals 2D Polymers

Peking University, November 20, 2024: In a groundbreaking achievement, researchers from Peking University's School of Materials Science and Engineering, led by Professor Jin-Hu Dou, have synthesized a novel non-van-der-Waals two-dimensional (2D) coordination polymer with intrinsic superconducting properties. The findings, published in Nature Communications (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-53786-1) on October 29, 2024, introduce the first precise crystal structure of the Cu₃BHT coordination polymer, marking a significant leap in the ...

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Microelectronics Science Research Centers to lead charge on next-generation designs and prototypes
Physics

Microelectronics Science Research Centers to lead charge on next-generation designs and prototypes

RICHLAND, Wash.—Microelectronics run the modern world. Staying ahead of the development curve requires an investment that doesn’t just keep pace but sets new standards for the next generation of technological advances. Today, the Department of Energy announced the creation of three Microelectronics Science Research Centers to address the nation’s specific needs for microelectronics designed to operate in extreme environments such as high radiation, extreme cold, and high magnetic field—situations where robust and reliable operating environments are crucial. The new MSRCs not only focus on the next generation ...

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Large Hadron Collider regularly makes magic
Physics

Large Hadron Collider regularly makes magic

A brotherly research duo has discovered that when the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) produces top quarks – the heaviest known fundamental particles – it regularly creates a property known as magic. This finding, published in Physical Review D, has implications for the progression of quantum computing, with magic being a measure that describes how difficult a quantum system is for a non-quantum computer to calculate. “The higher the magic, the more we need quantum computers to describe the behaviour,” explains Professor Martin White, from the University ...

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By looking at individual atoms in tooth enamel, UW and PNNL researchers are learning what happens to our teeth as we age
Physics

By looking at individual atoms in tooth enamel, UW and PNNL researchers are learning what happens to our teeth as we age

Teeth are essential for helping people break down the food they eat, and are protected by enamel, which helps them withstand the large amount of stress they experience as people chew away. Unlike other materials in the body, enamel has no way to repair damage, which means that as we age, it risks becoming weaker with time. Researchers are interested in understanding how enamel changes with age so that they can start to develop methods that can keep teeth happier and healthier for longer. A research team at the University of Washington and the ...

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Physics

Genetic discovery links new gene to autism spectrum disorder

TORONTO, CA – New research published in The American Journal of Human Genetics has identified a previously unknown genetic link to autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The study found that variants in the DDX53 gene contribute to ASD, providing new insights into the genetic underpinnings of the condition. ASD, which affects more males than females, encompasses a group of neurodevelopmental conditions that result in challenges related to communication, social understanding and behaviour. While DDX53, located on the X chromosome, is known to play a role in brain development and function, it was not previously definitively associated with autism. In ...

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Unlocking new insights into in-plane magnetic field-induced hall effects
Physics

Unlocking new insights into in-plane magnetic field-induced hall effects

In-plane magnetic fields are responsible for inducing anomalous Hall effect in EuCd₂Sb₂ films, report researchers from the Institute of Science Tokyo. By studying how these fields change electronic structures, the team discovered a large in-plane anomalous Hall effect. These findings pave the way for new strategies for controlling electronic transport under magnetic fields, potentially advancing applications in magnetic sensors. The Hall effect is a fundamental phenomenon in material science. It occurs when a material carrying an electric current is exposed to a magnetic field, producing a voltage perpendicular to both the current and the magnetic field. This effect has been ...

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Physicists magnetize a material with light
Physics

Physicists magnetize a material with light

MIT physicists have created a new and long-lasting magnetic state in a material, using only light. In a study that will appear in Nature, the researchers report using a terahertz laser — a light source that oscillates more than a trillion times per second — to directly stimulate atoms in an antiferromagnetic material. The laser’s oscillations are tuned to the natural vibrations among the material’s atoms, in a way that shifts the balance of atomic spins toward a new magnetic state. The results provide a new way to control and switch antiferromagnetic materials, which are of interest for their potential ...

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Physics

Unionization efforts by physicians between 2000 and 2024

About The Study: Compared with 2000-2022, the number of union petitions with physicians in the bargaining units filed and certified increased in 2023 through May 2024. Organizing efforts were motivated by concerns about working conditions, physicians’ autonomy, and voice in management, and the quality of patient care. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Kevin Schulman, MD, email kevin.schulman@stanford.edu. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at ...

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Physicists ‘bootstrap’ validity of string theory
Physics

Physicists ‘bootstrap’ validity of string theory

String theory, conceptualized more than 50 years ago as a framework to explain the formation of matter, remains elusive as a “provable” phenomenon. But a team of physicists has now taken a significant step forward in validating string theory by using an innovative mathematical method that points to its “inevitability.” String theory posits that the most basic building blocks of nature are not particles, but, rather, one-dimensional vibrating strings that move at different frequencies ...

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Physics

Daily physical activity, sports participation, and executive function in children

About The Study: In this cohort study of Dutch children, early-life moderate to vigorous physical activity was not associated with executive function in middle childhood. Children participating in team sports at ages 10 to 11 consistently exhibited superior executive function compared with participants in individual sports. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Lu Yang, MSc, email l.yang@umcg.nl. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.49879) Editor’s Note: Please see ...

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Creating a global map of different physics laboratory classes
Physics

Creating a global map of different physics laboratory classes

Physics lab courses are vital to science education, providing hands-on experience and technical skills that lectures can’t offer. Yet, it’s challenging for those in Physics Education Research (PER) to compare course to course, especially since these courses vary wildly worldwide. To better understand these differences, JILA Fellow and University of Colorado Boulder physics professor Heather Lewandowski and a group of international collaborators are working towards creating a global taxonomy, a classification system that could create a more equitable way to compare these courses. Their findings were recently ...

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For the first time, researchers detect pre-malignant pancreatic lesions with magnetic resonance imaging
Physics

For the first time, researchers detect pre-malignant pancreatic lesions with magnetic resonance imaging

Precursor lesions of pancreatic cancer are very difficult to characterise with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). But now, in a new study, researchers led by Noam Shemesh and Carlos Bilreiro – respectively head of the Preclinical MRI lab at Champalimaud Research and a doctor at the Champalimaud Clinical Centre’s Radiology Department – have shown, for the first time, that a particular form of MRI, called Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI), is capable of robustly detecting pre-malignant lesions in the pancreas. ...

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Towards room-temperature superconductivity: Insights into optical properties of bi-based copper-oxide superconductors
Physics

Towards room-temperature superconductivity: Insights into optical properties of bi-based copper-oxide superconductors

Superconductors are materials which conduct electricity without any resistance when cooled down below a critical temperature. These materials have transformative applications in various fields, including electric motors, generators, high-speed maglev trains, and magnetic resonance imaging. Among these materials, CuO2 superconductors like Bi2212 stand out due to their high critical temperatures that surpass the Bardeen–Cooper–Schrieffer limit, a theoretical maximum temperature limit for superconductivity. However, ...

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KTU scientists developed a nanolaser: silver nanocubes enable light generation
Physics

KTU scientists developed a nanolaser: silver nanocubes enable light generation

Kaunas University of Technology (KTU), Lithuania researchers and scientists from Japan have developed a unique nanolaser. Although the dimensions of this laser are so small that its structure can only be seen through a powerful microscope, its potential is vast. With applications in early medical diagnostics, data communication, and security technologies, this invention could also become a key tool for the study of light and matter interactions. Depending on the application, lasers differ in the way light is amplified and produced, which determines the colour of the radiation and the quality of the laser ...

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The biomechanics of the rose prickle
Physics

The biomechanics of the rose prickle

It is said that every rose has its thorn, but technically speaking, roses have prickles. Prickles are derived from the epidermis of the plant, whereas true thorns are modified stems. Rose prickles defend the plant from herbivores and help the plant support itself on surrounding objects. Liat Levavi and Benny Bar-On investigated the biomechanical properties of the prickles of the dog rose (Rosa canina Linnaeus) with a view towards features that might be used in the design of miniature anchoring platforms. ...

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Magnetically controlled kirigami surfaces move objects: no grasping needed
Physics

Magnetically controlled kirigami surfaces move objects: no grasping needed

Researchers have developed a novel device that couples magnetic fields and kirigami design principles to remotely control the movement of a flexible dimpled surface, allowing it to manipulate objects without actually grasping them – making it useful for lifting and moving items such as fragile objects, gels or liquids. The technology has potential for use in confined spaces, where robotic arms or similar tools aren’t an option. “We were trying to address two challenges here,” says Jie Yin, co-corresponding ...

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Desert ants use the polarity of the geomagnetic field for navigation
Physics

Desert ants use the polarity of the geomagnetic field for navigation

Desert ants of the Cataglyphis nodus species use the Earth's magnetic field for spatial orientation, but these tiny insects rely on a different component of the field than other insects, a research team led by Dr Pauline Fleischmann from the University of Oldenburg, Germany, reports in the journal Current Biology. As the team explains in its paper, this suggests that they also use a different mechanism for magnetoreception than most insects studied to date, including, for example, the famous monarch butterflies. The researchers suspect that magnetoreception in these desert ants is based on a mechanism involving ...

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Physics

Transgender, gender-diverse preteens less physically active than peers

Toronto, ON – Transgender and gender-diverse preteens are about 15% less physically active than their cisgender peers, new research finds. Transgender 11-12 year-olds take, on average, 1,394 fewer steps per day compared to cisgender adolescents, a difference that equates to about 12% of the daily physical activity recommended for adolescents. The study was published in Annals of Epidemiology. “Transgender adolescents may experience stigma and discrimination that discourage their participation in team sports or physical activity,” ...

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Controlling matter at the atomic level: University of Bath breakthrough
Physics

Controlling matter at the atomic level: University of Bath breakthrough

Physicists are getting closer to controlling single-molecule chemical reactions – could this shape the future of pharmaceutical research?Controlling matter at the atomic level has taken a major step forward, thanks to groundbreaking nanotechnology research by an international team of scientists led by physicists at the University of Bath. This advancement has profound implications for fundamental scientific understanding. It is also likely to have important practical applications, such as transforming the way researchers develop new medications. Controlling single-outcome single-molecule reactions ...

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Physics

Physical activity and all-cause mortality by age in 4 multinational megacohorts

About The Study: In this pooled analysis of cohort studies, the association between physical activity and mortality risk remained consistent across the adult lifespan, which contrasts with other modifiable health factors, for which associations with mortality risk diminished with age. Given these findings, the promotion of regular physical activity is essential at all stages of adult life. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, David Martinez-Gomez, PhD, email d.martinez@uam.es. To ...

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Unlocking the secrets of the first quasars: how they defy the laws of physics to grow
Physics

Unlocking the secrets of the first quasars: how they defy the laws of physics to grow

In the article published today in the Astronomy & Astrophysics journal, new evidence suggests how supermassive black holes, with masses of several billion times that of our Sun, formed so rapidly in less than a billion years after the Big Bang. The study, led by researchers of the National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF), analyses a sample of 21 quasars, among the most distant ever discovered, observed in the X-rays band by the XMM-Newton and Chandra space telescopes. The results suggest that the supermassive black holes ...

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New theory reveals the shape of a single photon
Physics

New theory reveals the shape of a single photon

A new theory, that explains how light and matter interact at the quantum level has enabled researchers to define for the first time the precise shape of a single photon. Research at the University of Birmingham, published in Physical Review Letters, explores the nature of photons (individual particles of light) in unprecedented detail to show how they are emitted by atoms or molecules and shaped by their environment. The nature of this interaction leads to infinite possibilities for light to exist and propagate, or travel, through its surrounding environment. This limitless ...

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