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Phys.org / Japan Trench geology confirmed as key driver of 2011 megaquake
Geologists from Heriot-Watt are part of an international research team that has confirmed why the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake off northeast Japan behaved in such an extreme and destructive way.
Phys.org / Calm seas can drive coral bleaching, research reveals
New research by Monash University and the ARC Center of Excellence for the Weather of the 21st Century analyzed close to three decades of weather data during the coral bleaching season and identified the prevalence of "doldrum ...
Medical Xpress / Turning MRI into a quantitative microscope to detect white matter injury
Early diagnosis and noninvasive monitoring of neurological disorders require sensitivity to elusive cellular-level alterations that emerge much earlier than volumetric changes observable with millimeter-resolution medical ...
Phys.org / Woodland birds living among native trees produce more chicks, study shows
Native trees, such as oaks, have long held a special place in our culture and countryside. Now, researchers have shown that these trees are also important to woodland birds and their offspring.
Dialog / Off-the-shelf kitchen chemistry could make Li–S batteries thinner
Demand is booming for batteries that are faster, thinner and cheaper. We want electric cars and bikes that travel further, devices that last longer, charge quicker and cost less. Today, lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) set the ...
Medical Xpress / A new robotic system could perform delicate eye surgery
Retinal vein occlusion (RVO) is a severe disease that occurs when a vein in the light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye (i.e., the retina) becomes blocked, which results in a loss of vision. There are currently a few ...
Phys.org / Deadly to amphibians, a fungal strain emerged in Brazil and spread around the world
The chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis), or Bd for short, is considered one of the causes of the worldwide decline in amphibian populations. In recent years, researchers have identified different genetic strains ...
Phys.org / Vibrational spectroscopy technique enables nanoscale mapping of molecular orientation at surfaces
Sum-frequency generation (SFG) is a powerful vibrational spectroscopy that can selectively probe molecular structures at surfaces and interfaces, but its spatial resolution has been limited to the micrometer scale by the ...
Phys.org / Ecosystem productivity shapes how soil microbes store or release carbon, challenging old assumptions
Soils store more carbon than the atmosphere and vegetation combined, with soil microorganisms playing the main role. As a result, the global soil carbon cycle—by which carbon enters, moves through, and leaves soils worldwide—exerts ...
Tech Xplore / Solid-state material can store and release hydrogen using sunlight or LEDs
Hydrogen, a clean energy source, requires a highly reliable and safe storage system, which is currently lacking. Layered hydrogen silicane (L-HSi) is a promising, safe, lightweight, and energy-efficient solid-state hydrogen ...
Phys.org / Beta-decay half-life measurements reveal evolution of nuclear shell structure
An international team of researchers has systematically measured the β-decay half-lives of 40 nuclei near calcium-54, providing key experimental data for understanding the structure of extremely neutron-rich nuclei.
Phys.org / How pointing errors impact quantum key distribution systems
Quantum key distribution (QKD) is an emerging communication technology that utilizes quantum mechanics principles to ensure highly secure communication between two parties. It enables the sender and receiver to generate a ...