As NASA’s Europa Clipper embarks on its historic journey to Jupiter’s icy moon, Europa, Dr. Matt Powell-Palm, a faculty member at Texas A&M University’s J. Mike Walker ‘66 Department of Mechanical Engineering, has unveiled groundbreaking research that could transform our understanding of icy ocean worlds across the solar system. The study published in Nature Communications, co-authored with planetary scientist Dr. Baptiste Journaux of the University of Washington, introduces a novel thermodynamic concept called the “centotectic” and investigates the stability of liquids in extreme conditions - critical ...

In the holiday movie The Grinch, makeup artists are reported to have spent several hours each day encasing Jim Carrey’s face with prosthetics to create the iconic grumpy, green-furred creature. Such elaborate prosthetics, often made possible by materials like silicone rubbers, may have now found an unexpected yet beneficial biomedical engineering application, according to a new study from Texas A&M University. Published in the journal Scientific Reports, researchers have created realistic, skin-like replicas made of Ecoflex, a type of silicone rubber that can potentially serve as a platform to evaluate risks of bacterial infections from ...

A research team co-led by a physician-scientist at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson’s Sarver Heart Center found that a subset of artificial heart patients can regenerate heart muscle, which may open the door to new ways to treat and perhaps someday cure heart failure. The results were published in the journal Circulation. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart failure affects nearly 7 million U.S. adults and is responsible for 14% of deaths per ...

In 2022 alone, over 20 million people were diagnosed with cancer, and nearly 10 million died from the disease, according to the World Health Organization. While the reaches of cancer are massive, the answer to more effective treatments may be hidden within a microscopic cell. Led by Texas A&M University graduate students Samere Zade of the biomedical engineering department and Ting-Ching Wang of the chemical engineering department, an article released by the Lele Lab has uncovered new details about the mechanism behind cancer progression.  Published in Nature Communications, the article ...

Researchers at Rice University have made a meaningful advance in the simulation of molecular electron transfer — a fundamental process underpinning countless physical, chemical and biological processes. The study, published in Science Advances, details the use of a trapped-ion quantum simulator to model electron transfer dynamics with unprecedented tunability, unlocking new opportunities for scientific exploration in fields ranging from molecular electronics to photosynthesis. Electron transfer, critical to processes such as cellular respiration and energy harvesting ...

HOUSTON, Dec. 20, 2024 –While lithium-ion batteries have been the go-to technology for everything from smartphones and laptops to electric cars, there are growing concerns about the future because lithium is relatively scarce, expensive and difficult to source, and may soon be at risk due to geopolitical considerations. Scientists around the world are working to create viable alternatives. An international team of interdisciplinary researchers, including the Canepa Research Laboratory at the University of Houston, has developed a new type of material for sodium-ion batteries that could ...

Passive interfaces, such as light switches or doorknobs, refer to hardware that can store energy, but the energy can only be used for the purpose it was intended. However, research is imagining new ways for that energy to be harvested and adapted — turning your doorknob could power your alarm system or opening your freezer could turn on your kitchen light.   By integrating smart capabilities such as sensing and energy harvesting, Dr. Jeeeun Kim is transforming passive interfaces into adaptive interfaces, altering hardware to be used ...

Local governments in developing countries are crucial for providing public services that promote human development and address challenges like extreme weather, unemployment and crumbling infrastructure. Yet, they often face difficulties in implementing cost-effective programs that meet citizens’ diverse needs, particularly in areas with significant socioeconomic inequalities. A recent study, published in World Development and led by University of Notre Dame researcher Krister Andersson, explored the impact of economic and social inequalities on local government performance in Chile (a country with very high socioeconomic ...

RIVERSIDE, Calif. -- Nearly half the world’s population lives in regions where malaria is endemic, with the parasite Plasmodium falciparum accounting for approximately 95% of malaria-related deaths globally. Now, a new research project funded by the National Institutes of Health and led by a malaria expert at the University of California, Riverside aims to uncover the molecular factors that govern gene regulation and chromatin organization in P. falciparum, with a particular focus on long non-coding RNAs, or lncRNAs. Chromatin is a combination of DNA and proteins that makes up the chromosomes in the cells of humans and other higher organisms. “Malaria ...

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive breast cancer. It spreads quickly and has few treatment options. It is also serious because of its rate of recurrence. Black women are twice as likely as white women to be diagnosed with TNBC. They are also more likely to die from the devastating disease. In fact, the five-year survival rate for TNBC in Black women is only 14% compared to 36% in women from other racial backgrounds. Multiple biological and socioeconomic factors are blamed for this higher risk. UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center researcher Sanchita Bhatnagar and her team have ...

Human norovirus, a positive-strand RNA virus that is the leading cause of viral gastroenteritis accounting for an estimated 685 million cases and approximately 212,000 deaths globally per year, has no approved vaccines or antivirals. Paving the way for improved drug therapies, researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and the University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center report in Science Advances the discovery of replication hubs for human norovirus, which could lead to designing antiviral drugs to prevent, control or treat these infections. “When viruses infect cells, they usually create specialized compartments ...

◦ Seoul National University College of Engineering announced that a research team led by Prof. Seung-Kyun Kang from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Seoul National University (first authors: Dr. Jae-Hwan Lee and Ph.D. candidate Yoon-Nam Kim) has developed a strain sensor with record-breaking sensitivity in collaboration with researchers from Dankook University, Ajou University, and Purdue University. This groundbreaking study introduced an hypersensitive, flexible, and stretchable ...

CAMBRIDGE, MA – Monitoring electrical signals in biological systems helps scientists understand how cells communicate, which can aid in the diagnosis and treatment of conditions like arrhythmia and Alzheimer’s. But devices that record electrical signals in cell cultures and other liquid environments often use wires to connect each electrode on the device to its respective amplifier. Because only so many wires can be connected to the device, this restricts the number of recording sites, limiting ...

Researchers have developed a new way of understanding international relations by analysing almost 200 years of alliances, hostilities and neutrality between countries. The research team, led by Edinburgh Business School at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland, concludes that neutrality has played a far greater role in global stability than previously thought – but has been under-explored and often mislabelled. The study analysed 192 years of data between 1816 and 2007 from the Correlates of War (CoW) project, which collects and shares data on international relations. Lead author Dr David Dekker, a Research Fellow at Edinburgh Business School, ...

New research published in Science Advances reveals that right whales can survive for more than 130 years — almost twice as long as previously understood. Extreme longevity is a trait common to the right whales’ cousins, the bowheads.  Scientists working with Indigenous subsistence hunters in Utqiaġvik used chemical analysis of harvested bowhead whales to show they can live more than 200 years. Corroborating the chemical evidence, hunters have recovered 19th-century harpoon tips from bowheads taken in ...

Throughout human evolution, body and facial hair have notably diminished, yet eyelashes have remained a distinguishing feature. The physiological or functional purpose of eyelashes—traditionally thought to be for catching dust or filtering air, etc.—has long been debated. However, a team of Chinese researchers has recently elucidated the characteristics of human eyelashes. Their study reveals that eyelashes consist of a hydrophobic, curved, flexible fiber array, featuring ...

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Despite their reputation as buzzing nuisances, flies serve a critical role as some of the Earth’s most prolific pollinators — and new research led by Penn State scientists suggests they are increasingly at risk due to rising global temperatures. In a study recently published in the Journal of Melittology, an international team of researchers looked at the heat tolerance for a variety of species of bees and flies in tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas. Their findings suggest that rising temperatures pose a greater threat to flies than bees, as bees can tolerate much higher temperatures than flies and have a ...

The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) is establishing eight new Research Units. This was decided by the DFG Joint Committee on the recommendation of the Senate. The new Research Units will receive total funding of approximately €30 million, including a 22-percent programme allowance for indirect project costs. In addition to these eight newly created Research Units, it was decided to extend two Research Units and one Clinical Research Unit for a second funding period. Two of the newly established Research Units and one that has been extended receive funding under the framework of the ...

A recent perspective published Nov. 13 in Intelligent Computing, a Science Partner Journal, asserts that today's artificial intelligence systems have finally realized Alan Turing's vision from over 70 years ago: machines that can genuinely learn from experience and engage in human-like conversation. Authored by Bernardo Gonçalves from the University of São Paulo and University of Cambridge, the paper also sheds light on how current energy-hungry transformer-based systems contrast with Turing's prophecy of machines that would develop intelligence naturally, like human children. Gonçalves' ...

Quantum walks are a powerful theoretical model using quantum effects such as superposition, interference and entanglement to achieve computing power beyond classical methods. A research team at the National Innovation Institute of Defense Technology from the Academy of Military Sciences (China) recently published a review article that thoroughly summarizes the theories and characteristics, physical implementations, applications and challenges of quantum walks and quantum walk computing. The review was published Nov. 13 in Intelligent Computing, a Science Partner Journal, in an article titled “Quantum Walk Computing: Theory, Implementation, and Application”. As ...

We know a lot about how much fossil-derived carbon is emitted to the atmosphere but less about how much is stored in human-made products. In a study publishing December 20 in the Cell Press journal Cell Reports Sustainability, ecological economists estimate that each year, humans add around 400 million tons of fossil carbon to long-lasting products such as plastics, buildings, and human infrastructure. Although these products could be considered a “carbon sink,” proper waste management is essential ...

Northwestern University engineers are the first to successfully demonstrate quantum teleportation over a fiberoptic cable already carrying Internet traffic. The discovery introduces the new possibility of combining quantum communication with existing Internet cables — greatly simplifying the infrastructure required for distributed quantum sensing or computing applications. The study will be published on Friday (Dec. 20) in the journal Optica. “This is incredibly exciting because nobody thought it was possible,” said Northwestern’s Prem Kumar, who led the study. “Our work ...

About The Study: The findings of this cross-sectional study underscore significant disparities and gaps in biennial mammography screening for women ages 40 to 49. Two-fifths of women in this age group did not receive biennial screening. Lower biennial screening rates were observed among racial and ethnic minority populations, sexual minority populations, rural residents, and socioeconomically disadvantaged populations. To optimize early breast cancer detection, ensuring equitable adherence to U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendations is crucial. Corresponding Author: To ...

About The Study: This study found that early adoption and implementation of Tobacco 21 (T21) policies (minimum age of 21 for legal access to tobacco products) maximizes potential premature mortality reductions. However, the strength of T21 policies and enforcement varies widely across states. Enforcement of the federal T21 law is critical in the 8 states without state-level T21 cigarette policies of their own.   Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Jamie Tam, PhD, email jamie.tam@yale.edu. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link ...

Artificial intelligence can provide critical insights into how complex mixtures of chemicals in rivers affect aquatic life – paving the way for better environmental protection.  A new approach, developed by researchers at the University of Birmingham, demonstrates how advanced artificial intelligence (AI) methods can help identify potentially harmful chemical substances in rivers by monitoring their effects on tiny water fleas (Daphnia).   The team worked with scientists at the Research Centre for Eco-Environmental Sciences (RCEES), in China, and the Hemholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), in Germany, to analyse ...