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Categories: Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry, Geoscience: Oceanography
Published Molecular crystal motors move like microbes when exposed to light
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source At first glance, Rabih Al-Kaysi's molecular motors look like the microscopic worms you'd see in a drop of pond water. But these wriggling ribbons are not alive; they're made from crystallized molecules that perform coordinated movements when exposed to light. With continued development, these tiny machines could be used as drug-delivery robots or engineered into arrays that direct the flow of water around submarines.
Published From the Mediterranean into the Atlantic: The Gibraltar arc is migrating to the west
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Oceans are subject to continuous change, mostly over extremely vast periods of time running into millions of years. Researchers have now used computer simulations to demonstrate that a subduction zone originating in the Western Mediterranean will propagate into the Atlantic under the Strait of Gibraltar. According to their model, this will create a new Atlantic subduction zone 50 million years into the future, which will then move down into the Earth's mantle. The new geodynamic model explains the evolution of the Gibraltar subduction zone and its likely development, which will contribute to the renewal of the Atlantic Ocean floor.
Published Sustainable solution for wastewater polluted by dyes used in many industries
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Water pollution from dyes used in textile, food, cosmetic and other manufacturing is a major ecological concern with industry and scientists seeking biocompatible and more sustainable alternatives to protect the environment. A new study has discovered a novel way to degrade and potentially remove toxic organic chemicals including azo dyes from wastewater, using a chemical photocatalysis process powered by ultraviolet light.
Published There are large accumulations of plastics in the ocean, even outside so-called garbage patch
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source When plastic ends up in the ocean, it gradually weathers and disintegrates into small particles. If marine animals ingest these particles, their health can be severely affected. Large accumulations of plastic can therefore disrupt the biological balance of marine ecosystems. But which areas are particularly affected?
Published Harnessing hydrogen at life's origin
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new report uncovers how hydrogen gas, the energy of the future, provided energy in the past, at the origin of life 4 billion years ago. Hydrogen gas is clean fuel. It burns with oxygen in the air to provide energy with no CO2. Hydrogen is a key to sustainable energy for the future. Though humans are just now coming to realize the benefits of hydrogen gas (H2 in chemical shorthand), microbes have known that H2 is good fuel for as long as there has been life on Earth. Hydrogen is ancient energy.
Published Using light to produce medication and plastics more efficiently
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Anyone who wants to produce medication, plastics or fertilizer using conventional methods needs heat for chemical reactions -- but not so with photochemistry, where light provides the energy. The process to achieve the desired product also often takes fewer intermediate steps. Researchers are now going one step further and are demonstrating how the energy efficiency of photochemical reactions can be increased tenfold. More sustainable and cost-effective applications are now tantalizingly close.
Published Advance for soft robotics manufacturing, design
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Engineers propose a new quantitative framework to account for and predict the impact of temperature on the curing speed of platinum-catalyzed silicone elastomers. The findings could maximize throughput and minimize waste in the manufacturing of components for soft robotics and wearables.
Published Breakthrough in melting point prediction: Over 100-year-old physics problem solved
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists propose a groundbreaking theory for predicting melting points. The theory offers a universal description of melting lines across various material types. This discovery has significant implications for materials science and related fields.
Published Even inactive smokers are densely colonized by microbial communities
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Everything is everywhere -- under certain conditions microbial communities can grow and thrive, even in places that are seemingly uninhabitable. This is the case at inactive hydrothermal vents on the sea floor. An international team is presently working to accurately quantify how much inorganic carbon can be bound in these environments.
Published Plasma oscillations propel breakthroughs in fusion energy
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have discovered a new class of plasma oscillations -- the back-and-forth, wave-like movement of electrons and ions. The research paves the way for improved particle accelerators and commercial fusion energy.
Published Shark-bitten orcas in the Northeastern Pacific could be a new population of killer whale
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers believe a group of killer whales observed hunting marine mammals including sperm whales, as well as a sea turtle, in the open ocean off California and Oregon could be a new population. Based on available evidence, the researchers posit that the 49 orcas could belong to a subpopulation of transient killer whales or a unique oceanic population found in waters off the coast of California and Oregon.
Published Groundbreaking study reveals extensive leatherback turtle activity along U.S. coastline
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study provides groundbreaking findings that offer insights on the migration and foraging patterns of leatherback sea turtles along the Northwest Atlantic shelf.
Published A theory linking ignition with flame provides roadmap to better combustion engines
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have theoretically linked ignition and deflagration in a combustion system, unlocking new configurations for stable, efficient combustion engines due to the possible existence of any number of steady-state solutions.
Published A new world of 2D material is opening up
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Materials that are incredibly thin, only a few atoms thick, exhibit unique properties that make them appealing for energy storage, catalysis and water purification. Researchers have now developed a method that enables the synthesis of hundreds of new 2D materials.
Published Perovskite solar cells: Vacuum process may offer a short track to commercialization
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Which process is best suited for mass production of perovskite solar cells? While solvent-based manufacturing processes are used in laboratories around the world, vacuum vapor-phase deposition processes are still the standard for the production of thin films for photovoltaics or organic light-emitting diodes. A new study that reveals major differences in the scientific discussion of these production processes.
Published How to upcycle low-energy light
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source To combine two low-energy photons into one high-energy photon efficiently, the energy must be able to hop freely, but not too quickly, between randomly oriented molecules of a solid. The discovery provides a much-needed design guideline for developing materials for more efficient PV cells, displays, or even anti-cancer therapies.
Published New high-speed microscale 3D printing technique
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new process for microscale 3D printing creates particles of nearly any shape for applications in medicine, manufacturing, research and more -- at the pace of up to 1 million particles a day.
Published With discovery of roundworms, Great Salt Lake's imperiled ecosystem gets more interesting
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Biologists announce the discovery of numerous species of roundworm in the highly saline waters of Great Salt Lake, the vast terminal lake in northwestern Utah that supports millions of migratory birds. Previously, brine shrimp and brine flies were the only known multicellular animals living in the water column. The scientists found nematodes, belonging to a family known for inhabiting extreme environments, in the lake's microbialites, reef-like structures covering about a fifth of the lakebed.
Published Marine heat waves disrupt the ocean food web in the northeast Pacific Ocean
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Marine heat waves in the northeast Pacific Ocean create ongoing and complex disruptions of the ocean food web that may benefit some species but threaten the future of many others, a new study has shown.
Published Researchers develop a new control method that optimizes autonomous ship navigation
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Existing ship control systems using Model Predictive Control for Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) do not consider the various forces acting on ships in real sea conditions. Addressing this gap, researchers developed a novel time-optimal control method, that accounts for the real wave loads acting on a ship, enabling effective planning and control of MASS at sea.