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Community engagement
John Donne famously said that nobody “is an island entire of itself”. This month sees the opening-up of a new ‘continent’ for plant scientists. The scientific endeavour is not a zero-sum game. More is achieved more quickly by a group of researchers collaborating than by the same collection of individuals working alone. Duplications of efforts…
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The achievement of gender parity in a large astrophysics research centre
Abstract In Australian astronomy, women’s representation remains at historic lows, despite a decade of initiatives aimed at improving the representation and support of women in astronomy and academia more generally. Drawing from research in the fields of sociology and psychology, we designed a new evidence-based programme to increase the percentage of women recruited and retained…
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Predictive analyses of regulatory sequences with EUGENe
Abstract Deep learning has become a popular tool to study cis-regulatory function. Yet efforts to design software for deep-learning analyses in regulatory genomics that are findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable (FAIR) have fallen short of fully meeting these criteria. Here we present elucidating the utility of genomic elements with neural nets (EUGENe), a FAIR toolkit…
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Scientists move closer to long-theorized ultraprecise nuclear clock
Newswise — For decades, the standard reference tool for ultraprecise timekeeping has been the atomic clock. Scientists have known that an even more precise and reliable timepiece was possible, but technical limitations kept it only a theoretical prospect. Now, researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory, Texas A&M University and several…
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Microbial methane cycling in a landfill on a decadal time scale
Abstract Landfills generate outsized environmental footprints due to microbial degradation of organic matter in municipal solid waste, which produces the potent greenhouse gas methane. With global solid waste production predicted to increase substantially in the next few decades, there is a pressing need to better understand the temporal dynamics of biogeochemical processes that control methane…
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Wideband 1-bit reconfigurable transmission metasurface unit cell design in Ka-band with polarization hold and conversion
Abstract In this paper, a wideband transmission unit cell is proposed for programmable metasurfaces operating in the Ka-band. The unit cell features a compact period of only 2.91 mm, corresponding to 0.34 λ0 at the center frequency of 35 GHz. A receiving layer, consisting of a patch loaded with two PIN diodes, is utilized to achieve 1-bit…
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Controversies of carbon dioxide removal
Various methods of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) are being pursued in response to the climate crisis, but they are mostly not proven at scale. Climate experts are divided over whether CDR is a necessary requirement or a dangerous distraction from limiting emissions. In this Viewpoint, six experts offer their views on the CDR debate. Carbon…
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As an artist-scientist, ‘I’m obsessed with pigments’
Sierra Weir blends art and science skills to strengthen others’ relationships with their local ecosystems.Credit: Dagny Felker Sierra Weir is an environmental educator and pigment artist at Three Rivers Waterkeeper, a non-profit organization in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, that advocates for local waterways. She earned her bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and molecular biology in 2020 at the…
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Establishing the normal range of sperm DNA fragmentation index (% DFI) for rhesus macaques
Abstract The Sperm Chromatin Structure Assay (SCSA) is a robust test with high repeatability and precision. It is a clinically accepted assay that defines risk for infertility in men by measuring the degree of DNA fragmentation (% DFI) in sperm. The objective of this study was to adapt and validate the SCSA for rhesus macaques…
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Inverted laser sintering of metal powders
Abstract We demonstrate the ability of the inverted laser sintering process to manufacture parts composed of metal powder. We fabricate a 10-layer part by depositing a layer of copper powder onto a sapphire plate, then pressing the plate against the part being built and sintering the powder onto the part by shining a 14W 445 nm…