Ag-Ta2AlC composite materials were prepared using the hot pressing sintering method, and the arc erosion properties of these materials with varying compositions were studied. The arc is dispersed over the surface of Ag-30%Ta2AlC, exhibiting the lowest arc energy and the shortest arcing time, suggesting that Ag-Ta2AlC has the potential to be a new silver-based electrical … Read more
Triassic brachiopod fossils; right: Recent brachiopod shells. Credit: Zhen Guo Brachiopods were evolving in new directions but this did not become an evolutionary success in terms of the numbers of species, researchers at the University of Bristol, the Open University, and the China University of Geosciences have found. The findings, published today in Nature Ecology … Read more
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain A new study provides evidence that a spillover of avian influenza from birds to dairy cattle across several U.S. states has now led to mammal-to-mammal transmission—between cows and from cows to cats and a raccoon. “This is one of the first times that we are seeing evidence of efficient and sustained … Read more
After the measurement, the impeller starts moving again and exchanges the analyzed sample liquid and closes the measuring chamber to the outside again when it stops. Credit: Fraunhofer ILT, Aachen, Germany How pharmaceuticals act, how efficient catalysts are and how effective and accurate printing inks function all depend on the size of the nanoparticles they … Read more
An IBMCP (UPV-CSIC) team discovers a new compound to protect tomatoes from bacteria and drought. Credit: UPV In a recent study published on the cover of the Plant Physiology journal, the IBMCP team has identified a new volatile compound—alpha-terpineol—that effectively protects plants from Pseudomonas syringae. This pathogenic bacterium causes severe damage to various crops. This … Read more
Graphical abstract. Credit: Journal of Advanced Ceramics (2024). DOI: 10.26599/JAC.2024.9220907 Barium strontium aluminum silicate (BaxSr1−xAl2Si2O8, BSAS) ceramics possess both phase stability and resistance to water vapor corrosion, making them ideal materials for radome technology and electronic packaging. To address the low tolerance of BSAS ceramics to damage and defects, the introduction of nano-reinforcements is an … Read more
Danish renaissance astronomer and alchemist Tycho Brahe. Credit: wikipedia In the Middle Ages, alchemists were notoriously secretive and didn’t share their knowledge with others. Danish Tycho Brahe was no exception. Consequently, we don’t know precisely what he did in the alchemical laboratory located beneath his combined residence and observatory, Uraniborg, on the now Swedish island … Read more
Montana State University scientists have found evidence that tiny organisms living in Yellowstone National Park’s hydrothermal area produce methane. Credit: Roland Hatzenpichler A team of scientists from Montana State University has provided the first experimental evidence that two new groups of microbes thriving in thermal features in Yellowstone National Park produce methane—a discovery that could … Read more
Cross section of paint sample SK-C-5_017 as seen through a light microscope. It shows various crystals of yellow, orange and red pigments of which the precise composition was established using a combination of electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray powder diffraction. Credit: Rijksmuseum. Chemists at the Rijksmuseum and the University of Amsterdam (UvA) have for … Read more
Pathways of anthropogenic Nr effects on global climate. Credit: Nature (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07714-4 Nitrogen fertilizers and nitrogen oxides from fossil fuels are known for their environmental damage: they pollute the air and drinking water, lead to over-fertilization of water and land ecosystems, reduce biodiversity and damage the ozone layer. As far as climate is concerned, … Read more
