news 2022

Detailed images of cells with X-ray contrast agents Contrast agents are often used to improve the imaging of soft tissue in micro-computed tomography (microCT). Now a research team led by the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has investigated how these agents disperse inside cells. Their findings could improve the assessment and further development of contrast agents and might contribute to future medical diagnostics.

First Time Webb, Hubble Make Simultaneous Observations of the Same Target Two of the great observatories, the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope and the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, have captured views of a unique experiment to smash a spacecraft into a small asteroid. NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) impact observations mark the first time that Webb and Hubble were used to simultaneously observe the same celestial target.

It could be called better understanding through chemistry. An international research team including Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) scientists has succeeded in gaining new insights into the chemical properties of the superheavy element flerovium - element 114. The measurements, taken at the at the accelerator facilities of the GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung (GSI/FAIR) in Darmstadt, Germany, show that flerovium is the most volatile metal in the periodic table.

Researchers at TU Vienna and FHI Berlin succeeded in monitoring a catalytic reaction with three different microscopies under exactly the same conditions in real time. In this way, information is obtained that none of the methods alone could reveal. One has to look very closely to exactly understand what processes take place on the surfaces of catalysts.

Scientists have discovered how a chemical in the cells of marine organisms enables them to survive the high pressures found in the deep oceans. The deeper that sea creatures live, the more inhospitable and extreme the environment they must cope with. In one of the deepest points in the Pacific - the Mariana Trench, 11 kilometers below the sea surface - the pressure is 1.1 kbar or eight tons per square inch.

Scientific discovery during the Stockpile Stewardship Program maintains confidence in the nuclear deterrent without testing, brings other benefits The last nuclear test, code-named Divider, took place 30 years ago, on September 23, 1992. That year, President Bush declared a temporary moratorium on nuclear testing, which became permanent during the Clinton administration.

Astrophysicists have discovered that a gamma-ray burst detected on earth came from an explosion that occurred when the Universe was only 880 million years old. On September 5, 2021, light from a very energetic gamma-ray burst (GRB) - an immensely energetic explosion that occurred in a distant galaxy - reached our planet.

Quantum mechanics put to the test For almost 100 years, quantum mechanics has been one of the pillars of modern physics. It has made it possible for the first time to describe processes in the microscopic subatomic world, for example inside atoms, very precisely and accurately.

Breakthrough medical technology like mRNA vaccines rely on tiny nanoparticles to deliver medicine to cells. A new device will help drug manufacturers and evaluators like the FDA more precisely measure genetic payloads to evaluate drug effectiveness. An important component of the vaccines protecting people against SARS-CoV-2 virus and its variants are lipid nanoparticles, or LNPs.

Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), astronomers have spotted signs of a 'hot spot' orbiting Sagittarius A*, the black hole at the centre of our galaxy. The finding helps us better understand the enigmatic and dynamic environment of our supermassive black hole. The research was led by Maciek Wielgus of the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy in Bonn, Germany.

Researchers discover a hot spot near the Sagittarius A* black hole with the Alma radio telescope. There is a black hole in the center of our Milky Way. In the immediate vicinity of this mass monster called Sagittarius A*, things are turbulent. Now, an international group led by Maciek Wielgus of the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy in Bonn has discovered an object that orbits the black hole on a very narrow path in only about 70 minutes.

Cooling materials to extremely low temperatures is important for basic physics research as well as for technological applications. By improving a special refrigerator and a low-temperature thermometer, Basel scientists have now managed to cool an electric circuit on a chip down to 220 microkelvin - close to absolute zero.

Researchers discover a hot spot near the black hole Sagittarius A* with the radio telescope ALMA There is a black hole in the centre of our Milky Way. In the immediate vicinity of this mass monster called Sagittarius A*, things are turbulent. Now an international group led by Maciek Wielgus from the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy in Bonn has discovered an object that orbits the black hole on a very narrow path in only about 70 minutes.

An international team, with the participation of the Universitat de València, has identified the signal of a bubble of hot gas orbiting in the vicinity of Sagittarius A* (the supermassive black hole at the centre of our galaxy). The observation was made with the ALMA telescope (Atacama large mm/submm Array).

MIT researchers demonstrate an intracellular antenna that's compatible with 3D biological systems and can operate wirelessly inside a living cell. Researchers at the MIT Media Lab have designed a miniature antenna that can operate wirelessly inside of a living cell, opening up possibilities in medical diagnostics and treatment and other scientific processes because of the antenna's potential for monitoring and even directing cellular activity in real-time.

Study Abstract: Nanophotonic control of thermal emission under extreme conditions (DOI: 10.1038/s41565'022 -01205-1) A new nanophotonic material has broken records for high-temperature stability, potentially ushering in more efficient electricity production and opening a variety of new possibilities in the control and conversion of thermal radiation.

Controlling the spin of electrons opens up future scenarios for applications in spin-based electronics (spintronics), for example in data processing. It also presents new opportunities for controlling the selectivity and efficiency of chemical reactions. Researchers recently presented first successes with the example of water splitting for producing "green" hydrogen and oxygen.

Engineers at EPFL's Electromagnetic Compatibility Laboratory have developed a revolutionary method for detecting and locating partial discharges, which disrupt the functioning of power transformers. Transformers play a central role in power distribution systems, making it possible to carry electric power over long distances with minimal risk and losses.

What is a perfect fluid - It is a theoretical model of a fluid that allows to assume that the fluid is not viscous, that it does not conduct heat, that it is incompressible and does not create vortices. It is therefore an approximation of reality that simplifies the theoretical predictions of fluid flows.

Illegal and dangerous items, such as explosives, could be detected with 100% efficiency, using artificial intelligence (AI) and a new X-ray approach developed by a team led by UCL academics. Some explosives can be difficult to spot using conventional X-ray alone, and the new method could revolutionise how illicit materials such as narcotics, illegal wildlife and explosives are detected.