Weakly bonded salt is a key ingredient for high-purity Li@C60 film

As well as making it one of the most widely recognized molecules, the distinctive soccer ball shape of C60 gives it some useful properties. One of which is thought to be electrical conductivity when multiple molecules are close together. Efforts have therefore been made to optimize C60 so that it can be applied to electronic devices. Now, researchers at the University of Tsukuba have devised a way of depositing films based on C60 to provide a robust model to study. Their findings are published in The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters.

New strategy designed for sustainable production of benzylamines from lignin

Benzylamines, one type of N-functionalized aromatics, are widely used as precursors of pharmaceuticals and synthetic dyes. Catalytic conversion of lignin into value-added N-containing chemicals such as benzylamines is significant to bring the biorefinery concept into reality.

Satellite sensor EPIC detects aerosols in Earth's atmosphere

Aerosols are small, solid particles that drift aloft in Earth's atmosphere. These minuscule motes may be any of a number of diverse substances, such as dust, pollution, and wildfire smoke. By absorbing or scattering sunlight, aerosols influence Earth's climate. They also affect air quality and human health.

Tides and tidal mixing were stronger during the Last Glacial Maximum

The regular and predictable ebbing and flooding of the tides may appear to not change, but new research carried out by Bangor University (UK) and Oregon State University (US) and published in the journal Communications Earth and Environment has demonstrated that the tides and tidal processes may have been very different during the ice ages.

Infection method behind 'crop killer' bacteria revealed

An interdisciplinary team of scientists from NTU Singapore has identified, for the first time, a key mechanism by which a dangerous plant disease can infect crops.

Curiosity Mars rover explores a changing landscape

A new video rings in the rover's ninth year on Mars, letting viewers tour Curiosity's location on a Martian mountain.

Autophagy: Balancing zinc and iron in plants

Nutrient imbalances can adversely impact crop health and agricultural productivity. The trace elements zinc and iron are taken up by the same transporters in plants, so zinc deficiency can result in excess uptake of iron. How does the plant cope with this imbalance? Researchers from Meiji University, Japan, reveal that autophagy, the process of intracellular self-degradation, may have an unexpected role in restoring zinc-iron balance in plants.

Dosing the coast: Baltimore County's leaky pipes are medicating the Chesapeake Bay

In Baltimore, Maryland, leaky sewage infrastructure delivers tens of thousands of human doses of pharmaceuticals to the Chesapeake Bay every year. So reports a new study in Environmental Science & Technology that monitored an urban stream network over a yearlong period. Drug concentrations detected were persistent, variable, and occurred at ecologically relevant levels.

Nine things you don't know about seahorses

Seahorses have long been a popular attraction in public aquariums, but they remain mysterious. They are a fish with a difference in that they swim in an upright, vertical position. They have flexible necks and long, tubular snouts that point downward, giving them the appearance of a horse's head. Their lower bodies form a flexible, prehensile tail, which is square in outline and can wrap around objects. There are at least 47 known species, all belonging to the genus Hippocampus, a Greek term that means "horse sea monster." So what else should we know about this creature?

Both early experiences and gene expression influence impulsivity in chicks

Differences in impulsivity between individuals are linked to both experience and gene expression, according to a study on the ancestor of domestic chickens, the red junglefowl. The study from Linköping University, Sweden, has been published in the journal Animal Behaviour.

Bioresponsive micro-to-nano albumin-based systems for targeted drug delivery against complex fungal infections

As a typical human pathogenic fungus, Cryptococcus neoformansis a life-threatening invasive fungal pathogen with a worldwide distribution causing ∼700,000 deaths annually. Cryptococcosis is not just an infection with multi-organ involvement, intracellular survival and extracellular multiplication of the fungus also play important roles in the pathogenesis of C. neoformansinfections. Because adequate accumulation of drugs at target organs and cells is still difficult to achieve, an effective delivery strategy is desperately required to treat these infections.

With climate change, seemingly small shifts have big consequences

Climate change has been accumulating slowly but relentlessly for decades. The changes might sound small when you hear about them—another tenth of a degree warmer, another centimeter of sea level rise—but seemingly small changes can have big effects on the world around us, especially regionally.

UK names Gower lamb as first food with protected status under geographical indication scheme

Sheep have been grazing the salt marsh landscape of the Gower Peninsula in Wales since medieval times. Today around 3,500 lambs and ewes feed there, where a diet of naturally growing samphire and sorrel gives their meat a unique flavor.

BHP's offloading of oil and gas assets shows the global market has turned on fossil fuels

The announcement by BHP, the world's second-largest mining company, that it will shift its oil and gas assets into a joint venture with Australian outfit Woodside is a clear indication the "Big Australian" is getting out of the carbon-based fuel industry.

Penis worm: Widespread yet understudied sea creatures

Australia's oceans are home to a startling array of biodiversity—whales, dolphins, dugongs and more. But not all components of Aussie marine life are the charismatic sort of animal that can feature in a tourism promotion, documentary, or conservation campaign.

Three Australian native plants that have become invasive species

Australian native plants are having a moment in the sun, with more of us seeking out and planting native species than in the past. Our gardens—and our social media feeds—are brimming with beautiful Australian native blooms.

Teaching Einsteinian physics in schools

Why are middle school students losing interest in physics? Why is Australia falling behind in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)?

Nuclear scientists hail US fusion breakthrough

Nuclear scientists using lasers the size of three football fields said Tuesday they had generated a huge amount of energy from fusion, possibly offering hope for the development of a new clean energy source.

Greek megafires highlight failure to prepare, experts say

As devastating wildfires ravage Greece, experts say the blazes cast a harsh light on the failure to prepare against and contain them, threatening irreversible damage to the country's rich biodiversity.

French firefighters battle Riviera inferno for third day

Hundreds of firefighters struggled for a third day Wednesday to contain France's worst wildfire of the summer near the glitzy Riviera resort of Saint-Tropez which has forced thousands of residents and tourists to flee.

New report from Harvard and global experts shows investments in nature needed to stop the next pandemic

As the world struggles to contain COVID-19, a group of leading, scientific experts from the U.S., Latin America, Africa and South Asia released a report today outlining the strong scientific foundations for taking actions to stop the next pandemic by preventing the spillover of pathogens from animals to people. The report provides recommendations for research and actions to forestall new pandemics that have largely been absent from high-level discussions about prevention, including a novel call to integrate conservation actions with strengthening healthcare systems globally.

Bee flight suffers under temperature extremes

Rising temperatures could help some northern-latitude bees fly better, but more frequent extreme weather events could push them past their limits.

New prehistoric 'Hobbit' creature is among 3 discoveries suggesting rapid evolution of mammals after dinosaur extinction

Research published today in the peer-reviewed Journal of Systematic Palaeontology describes the discovery of three new species of ancient creatures from the dawn of modern mammals, and hints at rapid evolution immediately after the mass extinction of the dinosaurs.