ScienceDaily: Top News

Highest Efficiency 1-Sun Solar Cell

Posted: 24 May 2022 02:12 PM PDT

Researchers have created a solar cell with a record 39.5% efficiency under 1-sun global illumination. This is believed to be the highest efficiency solar cell of any type, measured using standard 1-sun conditions.

New gene identified in arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy

Posted: 24 May 2022 01:36 PM PDT

Researchers have used advanced sequencing technology to better understand the heart disease arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy, in which heart muscle tissue is replaced by fat cells. Using explanted human hearts, they found regions in which heart muscle was actively degenerated and identified a new gene, ZBTB11, that drives heart muscle cell degradation.

A good defect? Researchers discover helicoidal screw dislocations in layered polymers

Posted: 24 May 2022 01:36 PM PDT

Researchers recently discovered a helicoidal-shaped defect in layered polymers, uncovering how solvents can diffuse through layers and produce color changes.

Experts forecast the wind plant of the future to be taller and more economical

Posted: 24 May 2022 01:36 PM PDT

Anticipating key features of wind plants a decade or more ahead of their installation can inform today's investment, research, and energy system planning decisions. Researchers elicited opinions from more than 140 of the world's leading experts about their expectations of future wind plant design in 2035.

Hubble reaches new milestone in mystery of universe's expansion rate

Posted: 24 May 2022 01:00 PM PDT

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has calibrated more than 40 'milepost markers' of space and time to help scientists precisely measure the expansion rate of the universe -- a quest with a plot twist.

Scientists discover gene plays critical role in embryo development

Posted: 24 May 2022 12:49 PM PDT

Developing drugs that affect the function of the Cnpy4 gene, which is involved in human embryo development, may provide potential new treatment options for diseases, including cancer.

AI reveals unsuspected math underlying search for exoplanets

Posted: 24 May 2022 12:49 PM PDT

The astronomers' goal: find an artificial intelligence algorithm to interpret microlensing events captured by the upcoming Roman Space Telescope and speed detection of exoplanets around other stars. They achieved that, but the AI told them something unexpected and deep: the theory used to infer stellar and exoplanetary masses and orbits from observations was incomplete. Digging into the mathematics, they uncovered a theory that explains all types of microlensing events and possible ambiguities in interpreting them.

Breakthrough in quantum universal gate sets: A high-fidelity iToffoli gate

Posted: 24 May 2022 09:49 AM PDT

Researchers have demonstrated the first three-qubit high-fidelity iToffoli native gate in a superconducting quantum information processor and in a single step. This demonstration adds a novel easy-to-implement native three-qubit logic gate for universal quantum computing.

Scientists develop method for seasonal prediction of Western wildfires

Posted: 24 May 2022 09:49 AM PDT

This summer's Western wildfire season is likely to be more severe than average but not as devastating as last year's near-record, according to an experimental prediction method that predicts wildfire season months in advance.

Traveling wave of light sparks simple liquid crystal microposts to perform complex dance

Posted: 24 May 2022 09:48 AM PDT

Mastering control over the dynamic interplay among optical, chemical and mechanical behavior in single-material, liquid crystalline elastomers, results in microposts that combine bending, twisting and turning into complex dances. The advancement could contribute toward further development of soft robotics and other devices.

Stress among wildlife

Posted: 24 May 2022 09:48 AM PDT

How stress is transmitted from one animal to another is the study topic of behavioral ecologists and collective behavior researchers.

Emulating impossible 'unipolar' laser pulses paves the way for processing quantum information

Posted: 24 May 2022 09:48 AM PDT

A laser pulse that sidesteps the inherent symmetry of light waves could manipulate quantum information, potentially bringing us closer to room temperature quantum computing.

How eating eggs can boost heart health

Posted: 24 May 2022 09:48 AM PDT

Researchers have shown how moderate egg consumption can increase the amount of heart-healthy metabolites in the blood.

Developing next-generation superconducting cables

Posted: 24 May 2022 09:46 AM PDT

Researchers have demonstrated a new, ready-to-use superconducting cable system that uses helium gas for crucial cooling.

Scientists use quantum computers to simulate quantum materials

Posted: 24 May 2022 09:46 AM PDT

Researchers have used quantum computers to simulate spin defects, an important material property for the next generation of quantum computers.

Climate change on course to hit U.S. Corn Belt especially hard, study finds

Posted: 24 May 2022 09:46 AM PDT

Climate change will make the U.S. Corn Belt unsuitable for cultivating corn by 2100 without major technological advances in agricultural practices, a new study finds.

Living with dogs (but not cats) as a toddler might protect against Crohn's disease

Posted: 24 May 2022 09:45 AM PDT

Young children who grow up with a dog or in a large family may have some protection later in life from a common inflammatory bowel disease known as Crohn's disease, according to a new study.

Secret to treating 'Achilles' heel' of alternatives to silicon solar panels revealed

Posted: 24 May 2022 08:07 AM PDT

A team of researchers has found that the tiny defects which limit the efficiency of perovskites -- cheaper alternative materials for solar cells -- are also responsible for structural changes in the material that lead to degradation.

'Happy hormone' dopamine plays role in identifying emotions

Posted: 24 May 2022 08:06 AM PDT

Emotion-recognition among people with disorders such as Parkinson's disease or schizophrenia may be affected by changes in the levels dopamine in the brain, say researchers.

How anesthetics affect brain functions

Posted: 24 May 2022 08:06 AM PDT

Modern anesthesia is one of the most important medical achievements. Whereas before, patients had to suffer hellish agonies during every operation, today anesthesia enables completely painless procedures. One feels nothing and can remember nothing afterwards. It is already known from electroencephalography (EEG) studies on patients that during anesthesia the brain is put into a deep sleep-like state in which periods of rhythmic electrical activity alternate with periods of complete inactivity. This state is called burst-suppression. Until now, it was unclear where exactly this state happens in the brain and which brain areas are involved.

Scientists make plastic more degradable under UV light

Posted: 24 May 2022 08:06 AM PDT

Scientists found that incorporating sugar units into polymers makes them more degradable when exposed to UV light.

Curbing other climate pollutants, not just CO2, gives Earth a chance

Posted: 24 May 2022 08:06 AM PDT

Slashing emissions of carbon dioxide by itself isn't enough to prevent catastrophic global warming, a new study shows. But if we simultaneously also reduce emissions of methane and other often overlooked climate pollutants, we could cut the rate of global warming in half by 2050 and give the world a fighting chance.

Significant energy savings using neuromorphic hardware

Posted: 24 May 2022 07:06 AM PDT

New research illustrates neuromorphic technology is up to sixteen times more energy-efficient for large deep learning networks than other AI systems.

Researchers develop algorithm to divvy up tasks for human-robot teams

Posted: 24 May 2022 07:06 AM PDT

Researchers have developed an algorithmic planner that helps delegate tasks to humans and robots. The planner, 'Act, Delegate or Learn' (ADL), considers a list of tasks and decides how best to assign them. The researchers asked three questions: When should a robot act to complete a task? When should a task be delegated to a human? And when should a robot learn a new task?

Reducing TV viewing to less than one hour a day could help prevent more than one in ten cases of coronary heart disease

Posted: 24 May 2022 07:06 AM PDT

Watching too much TV is associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease regardless of an individual's genetic makeup, say scientists. The researchers show that -- assuming a causal link -- 11% of cases of coronary heart disease could be prevented if people watched less than an hour of TV each day.

Human influence is the culprit for warm and wet winters in northwest Russia

Posted: 24 May 2022 07:05 AM PDT

A research team reveals the reason behind hot and wet winters in northwest Russia from 2019/20 winter. Anthropogenic influence found to be the reason for widespread warming according to the CMIP6 data.

Research boosts 'game-changing' technology to strengthen drug development

Posted: 24 May 2022 07:05 AM PDT

Researchers have boosted pioneering technology to show whether potential treatments are worth progressing into human trials, in a game-changing move that could dramatically reduce the high failure rates in drug discovery and development.

Reference genomes provide first insights into genetic roots of mustelid physiological and behavioral diversity

Posted: 24 May 2022 07:05 AM PDT

Mustelids are the most ecologically and taxonomically diverse family within the order Carnivora. From the tayra in the neotropics to the wolverine in the subarctic, they inhabit a variety of ecological niches and developed corresponding species-specific traits related to their diet, reproductive strategy and morphology. An international team of scientists conducted a comparative analysis of whole genomes of several mustelids to obtain insights into the molecular basis of these adaptations.

Desire for son in Nepal may impact on girls' health and wellbeing -- new study

Posted: 24 May 2022 07:05 AM PDT

The desire for a son could mean Nepali mothers stop breastfeeding infant daughters sooner, says new research. Girls in Nepal are breastfed for fewer months than boys on average, with girls with older sisters but no brothers being the most disadvantaged, says the study. And this shorter breastfeeding time is linked to a greater risk of death for Nepali infants in the study.

Cystic fibrosis: Restoring airway integrity

Posted: 24 May 2022 07:05 AM PDT

Cystic fibrosis is a rare genetic disease which can cause very serious symptoms. In particular, patients suffer from chronic bacterial infections that can lead to respiratory failure. It is caused by mutations in the CFTR gene, which regulates water movement across the cell membrane. Consequently, mucus quality is altered, it is no longer capable of capturing undesirable bacteria and expelling them. Using a model reproducing a respiratory epithelium -- a protective tissue composed of a monolayer of cells -- scientists have discovered that a simple film of liquid is sufficient to restore the airways' seal and reduce the risk of bacterial infection.

Human or seal? Who has the best underwater hearing?

Posted: 24 May 2022 07:05 AM PDT

We humans do better on land than under water -- also when it comes to our hearing. But now a new study shows that we actually have better underwater hearing than previously thought -- at certain frequencies we hear just as well as the seal.

Scientists discover a potential new marker to personalized therapy for breast cancer

Posted: 24 May 2022 07:05 AM PDT

A new study has discovered that 'crown-like structures' surrounding breast tumors in overweight and obese patients could hinder their response to therapy. The findings of this study could potentially be used to improve personalized treatment for patients with HER2+ overexpressed breast cancer.

Mothers of twins are not more fertile, just lucky

Posted: 24 May 2022 07:05 AM PDT

Are women who have twins more fertile? While previous studies concluded they are, a detailed analysis of more than 100,000 births from pre-industrial Europe by an international team of scientists shows they are not.

Astronomers find hidden trove of massive black holes

Posted: 24 May 2022 07:05 AM PDT

Astronomers have found a previously overlooked treasure trove of massive black holes in dwarf galaxies. The newly discovered black holes offer a glimpse into the life story of the supermassive black hole at the center of our own Milky Way galaxy.

Population-scale study highlights ongoing risk of COVID-19 in some cancer patients despite vaccination

Posted: 23 May 2022 04:22 PM PDT

A study has found that while COVID-19 vaccination is effective in most cancer patients, the level of protection against COVID-19 infection, hospitalization and death offered by the vaccine is less than in the general population and vaccine effectiveness wanes more quickly.

Scientists find sea corals are source of sought-after 'anti-cancer' compound

Posted: 23 May 2022 08:55 AM PDT

The bottom of the ocean is full of mysteries but scientists have recently uncovered one of its best-kept secrets. For 25 years, drug hunters have been searching for the source of a natural chemical that had shown promise in initial studies for treating cancer. Now, researchers report that easy-to-find soft corals -- flexible corals that resemble underwater plants -- make the elusive compound.