Lithium-ion batteries are a widely used class of rechargeable batteries in today’s world. One of the processes that can hamper the functioning of these batteries is an internal short circuit caused by direct contact between the cathode and anode (the conductors that complete the circuit within a battery). To avoid this, separators composed of polyolefins—a type of polymer— can be employed to maintain separation. However, these separators can melt at higher temperatures, and the inadequate absorption of electrolytes (essential for conveying ...

Are there specific communities that bear the brunt of suicide mortality? Certain studies have revealed that historically marginalized and economically deprived indigenous populations are linked with higher rates of cluster suicides—especially in Canada, the United States, and Australia. Public health officials need to consider that the risk of suicide contagion—social transmission due to insufficient interventions and resources—is real and must be countered. Now, a consortium of public health experts from Japan, Australia, and China have analyzed trends in suicide mortality in American Indian or Alaskan Native (AIAN) populations, while exploring ...

Perchlorates are a class of compounds that are notorious for their explosive nature. This raises safety concerns during experiments involving complex compounds that contain perchlorate ions, since explosions can be triggered even by the slightest shock or heat. It is, therefore, important to study their molecular structure and understand the reason behind their explosive nature.  In this context, a method called the Hirschfield surface analysis has been extensively used for visualizing and quantifying the crystal structure and molecular interactions of crystal compounds. Moreover, a two-dimensional fingerprint plot derived from the Hirschfield ...

DALLAS, Jan. 25, 2024 — This February, during American Heart Month and the American Heart Association’s Centennial year, the Association is devoted to a world of healthier lives for all by teaming up with retailers and brands around the country for Life is Why™, a cause marketing campaign supporting the Association’s life-saving heart and brain health mission. Life is Why inspires consumers to celebrate their reasons to live healthier, longer lives and participate personally in the mission of the Association by donating at the point-of-sale or by purchasing a product ...

PUYALLUP, Wash. — The pore-like structure of permeable pavements may help protect coho salmon by preventing tire wear particles and related contaminants from entering stormwater runoff, according to a Washington State University study. Researchers demonstrated that four types of permeable pavements can act as giant filters, retaining more than 96% of applied tire particle mass. They also captured several tire-associated chemicals, resulting in a 68% average reduction of 6PPD-quinone, a contaminant shown to kill coho salmon in urban streams. The study findings were published in the journal Science of the Total Environment. “The pressure on existing stormwater management technologies ...

Read all news releases on UAB’s peer-reviewed, published xenotransplant research and find media kits with video, photos, graphics and more at go.uab.edu/xenotransplant The UAB News Studio is available for live or taped interviews with UAB experts. BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Currently used Food and Drug Administration-approved transplant drugs — with the addition of an also already FDA-approved complement inhibitor — are the optimal immunosuppression regimen for pig-to-human kidney transplants, according to a landmark discovery by University of Alabama at Birmingham investigators. The peer-reviewed research is published today in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. “These ...

A call to include recommendations on low-sodium potassium-enriched salt in hypertension treatment guidelines has been made by an international group of experts today in the American Heart Association’s scientific journal Hypertension.  High levels of sodium intake and low levels of potassium intake are widespread, and both are linked to high blood pressure (hypertension) and greater risk of stroke, heart disease and premature death. Using a salt substitute where part of the sodium chloride is replaced with potassium chloride ...

New findings published in the journal Nature Neuroscience have shed light on a mysterious pathway between the reward center of the brain that is key to how we form habits, known as the basal ganglia, and another anatomically distinct region where nearly three-quarters of the brain’s neurons reside and assist in motor learning, known as the cerebellum. Researchers say the connection between the two regions potentially changes our fundamental view of how the brain processes voluntary ...

According to a new paper in the Review of Economic Studies, published by Oxford University Press, the widespread adoption of work-from-home technology has had dramatic consequences for American life. Using an equilibrium model where people choose where to live and how to allocate their time between working at home and at the office, the researchers here find that the pandemic induced a substantial increase in the relative productivity of those working from home. This change has increased housing prices, reduced office rent costs, and will permanently ...

Hydrogen gas is the smallest and lightest of all known molecules, and its colorless and odorless nature makes it easy to leak. Also when concentrated above 4% in a confined space, it poses a risk of ignition or explosion. In order for hydrogen to become a major player in the future energy industry, it is essential to ensure the safety issues via ultra-sensitive gas detection technology over the entire gas-dealing processes such as gas production, storage, and transportation. However, conventional gas-leakage sensors using electric signals are prone to yield electrical sparks, which can cause an explosion of leaked hydrogen gas. In addition, the mainstream electrode-based contact sensors ...

Organic-based optoelectronic technology is increasingly recognized as an energy-efficient solution for low-power indoor electronics and wireless IoT sensors. This is largely due to its superior flexibility and light weight compared to conventional silicon-based devices. Notably, organic photovoltaic cells (OPVs) and organic photodetectors (OPDs) are leading examples in this field. OPVs have the remarkable ability to absorb energy and generate electricity even under very low light condition, while OPDs are capable of capturing images. However, despite their potential, the development ...

Arlington, Va. — January 25, 2024 — A new study published today in the American Journal of Infection Control (AJIC) demonstrates that viral particles spread to many restroom surfaces during toilet flushing, regardless of whether the toilet lid is up or down. In this analysis, the only meaningful way of reducing viral particles was through disinfection of the toilet, toilet water, and nearby surfaces.   Scientists have long known that the process of toilet flushing can aerosolize pathogens expelled into the toilet bowl by an unhealthy individual. The aerosol plume created from the force of flushing can ...

European forests with a greater diversity of tree species are more resilient to storms, according to new research published in the British Ecological Society journal, Functional Ecology. A new study by researchers at the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE) reveals that in Europe, the forests that are most resilient to storms are those with a greater diversity of tree species and dominated by slow growing species with high wood density, like oaks. The researchers also found that the positive effect of ...

While sustainability reporting is a widespread practice in the private sector, new research shows that the same cannot be said for Ontario municipalities.  Researchers at the University of Waterloo studied 38 municipalities in Ontario, representing more than two-thirds of the population, and discovered that almost all municipalities publish their sustainability and climate change goals, but under half are formally reporting on their progress.  Municipalities are a key part of the equation ...

A collaborative research team co-led by Professor Shuang ZHANG, the Interim Head of the Department of Physics, The University of Hong Kong (HKU), along with Professor Qing DAI from National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, China, has introduced a solution to a prevalent issue in the realm of nanophotonics – the study of light at an extremely small scale. Their findings, recently published in the prestigious academic journal Nature Materials, propose a synthetic complex frequency wave (CFW) approach to address optical loss in polariton propagation. These findings offer practical solutions such as more efficient light-based devices for faster and ...

Two innovative teaching and learning projects led by The University of Hong Kong (HKU) earned honours in the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Reimagine Education Awards, presented in Abu Dhabi in December 2023. Often referred to as the "Oscars of Education," the awards are designed to honour the most innovative and effective approaches to enhancing student learning experiences and employability outcomes. The 2023 QS Reimagine Education Awards received a record number of more than 1,200 submissions across 17 categories. HKU has garnered ...

The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, triggered by the earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011, resulted in a severe release of radioactive materials, including cesium, from the damaged nuclear reactors. The loss of cooling capabilities led to partial meltdowns in the reactor cores, releasing a substantial amount of cesium-137 (Cs-137) and cesium-134 (Cs-134) into the environment. The release of Cs-137, in particular, poses environmental and human health hazards due to its long half-life and high mobility in the environment. Environmentally, Cs-137 contributes ...

This essay writes on a building project in the remote southwestern China that is built in uninhabited and is inspired and informed by its landscape context. The essay discusses how an extraordinary building project reacts to three different dimensions about landscape–architecture—a natural terrain being manipulated and recast. A small building needs to find its precise connecting point to a much larger historical and environmental context. A practical project needs to reach a balance between architectural pursuits and engineering concerns. Initially, artificial works might be isolated from and in conflict with the terrain, which requires architectural approaches ...

Flinders University researchers say that cohesive and collaborative action from preventive health communicators and organisations is needed to inform young people about the devastating harms of vaping. “Despite awareness of the potential harms, recreational vaping is increasing among younger people with our South Australian participants seeing vaping as ‘cleaner’ and less harmful than cigarettes,” says Flinders University’s Dr Joshua Trigg. “We know that nicotine vapes are highly addictive and expose people to harmful chemicals, respiratory irritants, and toxic substances.  In order to discourage ...

Kyoto, Japan -- Our understanding of the world relies greatly on our knowledge of its constituent materials and their interactions. Recent advances in materials science technologies have ratcheted up our ability to identify chemical substances and expanded possible applications. One such technology is infrared spectroscopy, used for molecular identification in various fields, such as in medicine, environmental monitoring, and industrial production. However, even the best existing tool -- the Fourier transform infrared spectrometer or FTIR -- utilizes a heating element as its light source. Resulting detector noise in the infrared region limits the devices' ...

According to a new analysis, almost a quarter of Australians with disabilities smoke when compared to just 12.6% of the wider population. While the number of Australians smoking is declining, the barriers for people with disabilities mean targeted support is needed to develop healthier habits. Flinders University and Cancer Council NSW health experts are recommending new strategies to tackle the alarming smoking rate through targeted government policies, data collection on smoking and training for disability support workers on tobacco prevention ...

A Rutgers Health analysis of millions of Medicare records has laid the groundwork for improving end-of-life care by demonstrating that nearly all older Americans follow one of nine trajectories in their last three years of life. “Identifying which paths people actually take is a necessary precursor to identifying which factors send different people down different paths and designing interventions that send more people down whatever path is right for them,” said Olga Jarrín, the Hunterdon Professor of Nursing Research at Rutgers and corresponding author of the study published in BMC Geriatrics. The team pulled the final three years of clinical records ...

Niigata, Japan - Scientists from Niigata University discover macrolide-based molecules that increase the expression of DEL-1 protein and help in bone regeneration Periodontitis is characterized by the loss of teeth resulting from inflammation of gums due to bacterial infections. The susceptibility to such bone loss disorders increases with age. The expression of the developmental endothelial locus-1 protein, crucial for bone regeneration, declines with age. Recently, researchers from Niigata University, University of Pennsylvania team identified ...

Menopausal women who regularly swim in cold water report significant improvements to their physical and mental symptoms, finds a new study led by UCL researchers. The research, published in Post Reproductive Health, surveyed 1114 women, 785 of which were going through the menopause, to examine the effects of cold water swimming on their health and wellbeing. The findings showed that menopausal women experienced a significant improvement in anxiety (as reported by 46.9% of the women), mood swings (34.5%), ...

Kiwifruit has proven itself as a powerful mood booster and new research from the University of Otago has shown just how fast its effects can be.   In a study, published in The British Journal of Nutrition, researchers found the furry fruit improved vitality and mood in as little as four days.   Co-author Professor Tamlin Conner, of the Department of Psychology, says the findings provide a tangible and accessible way for people to support their mental well-being.   “It’s great for people ...