Category: Science and Nature

  • Why is China’s high-quality research footprint becoming more introverted?

    Why is China’s high-quality research footprint becoming more introverted?

    Travel restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic are among the factors that have altered China’s patterns of international research collaboration.Credit: Greg Baker/AFP via Getty When China overtook the United States in the Nature Index for contributions to natural-sciences research articles last year, it marked a watershed moment for the database and for Chinese science. Since the…

  • A new kind of solar cell is coming: is it the future of green energy?

    A new kind of solar cell is coming: is it the future of green energy?

    On the outskirts of Brandenburg an der Havel, Germany, nestled among car dealerships and hardware shops, sits a two-storey factory stuffed with solar-power secrets. It’s here where UK firm Oxford PV is producing commercial solar cells using perovskites: cheap, abundant photovoltaic (PV) materials that some have hailed as the future of green energy. Surrounded by…

  • Scaling deep learning for materials discovery

    Scaling deep learning for materials discovery

    Abstract Novel functional materials enable fundamental breakthroughs across technological applications from clean energy to information processing1,<a data-track="click" data-track-action="reference anchor" data-track-label="link" data-test="citation-ref" title="Mizushima, K., Jones, P., Wiseman, P. & Goodenough, J. B. LixCoO2 (0<x2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11. From microchips to batteries and photovoltaics, discovery of inorganic crystals has been bottlenecked by expensive trial-and-error approaches. Concurrently, deep-learning models for language,…

  • Melanin pigmentation variations in the larval cuticle of almond moth, Ephestia cautella caused by gamma radiation

    Melanin pigmentation variations in the larval cuticle of almond moth, Ephestia cautella caused by gamma radiation

    Abstract To determine the effects of gamma radiation on the melanization process and phenoloxidase activity, Ephestia cautella larvae were exposed to dosages of 200, 400, 600, 800, and 1000 Gy. After irradiation, the number of non melanized larvae and the number exhibiting a slight melanization usually increased. The degree of melanization in treated larvae differed significantly…

  • Reply to: Accelerating ‘Oumuamua with H2 is challenging

    Reply to: Accelerating ‘Oumuamua with H2 is challenging

    replying to: N. F. W. Ligterink Nature https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-06697-y (2023). 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  • Vitamin D status as a predictor for liver transplant outcomes

    Vitamin D status as a predictor for liver transplant outcomes

    Abstract It is well known that vitamin D plays a pivotal role in immune system modulation; however, its role in liver transplantation (LT) has not yet been well elucidated. This study aimed to assess the association between vitamin D status and LT outcomes. This retrospective cohort study was conducted on 335 registered cirrhotic patients with…

  • Climate extremes disrupt fungal–bacterial interactions

    Climate extremes disrupt fungal–bacterial interactions

    Climate changes can destabilize soil microbial communities, but compound and sequential extreme climate events will magnify the destabilizing effects to other trophic levels — thereby impacting terrestrial biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. One of the major forms of physical interactions occurs through the attachment of bacteria to fungal hyphae and bacterial dispersal along hyphae2. The fungal…

  • The Nagoya Protocol and its implications for microbiology

    The Nagoya Protocol and its implications for microbiology

    The Nagoya Protocol was drafted to ensure the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the international use of genetic resources, but the lack of unified procedures and unclear definitions relating to microorganisms present considerable hurdles to microbiology research. Field studies are critical for understanding the key ecosystem roles played by microorganisms to complement…

  • Molecular epidemiology, clinical analysis, and genetic characterization of Zika virus infections in Thailand (2020–2023)

    Molecular epidemiology, clinical analysis, and genetic characterization of Zika virus infections in Thailand (2020–2023)

    Abstract To investigate the clinical and molecular characteristics and evolution of the Zika virus (ZIKV) in Thailand from March 2020 to March 2023. In all, 751 serum samples from hospitalized patients in Bangkok and the surrounding areas were screened for ZIKV using real-time RT-PCR. Demographic data and clinical variables were evaluated. Phylogenetic and molecular clock…

  • Super hot plasma made easy with stabilising fibres

    Super hot plasma made easy with stabilising fibres

    Read the paper here: A stable atmospheric-pressure plasma for extreme-temperature synthesis In a plasma, electrons separate from atoms and create a soup of charged particles that can be extremely hot and bright. This is particularly useful for manufacturing certain types of high temperature materials – and for experimenting with new materials. But plasmas can be…