Science

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Clay makes better high-temp batteries: Rice University scientists develop materials to power devices in harsh environments

A unique combination of materials developed at Rice University, including a clay-based electrolyte, may solve a problem for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries destined for harsh environments.

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Batteries with clay-based electrolyte/separators were tested at up to 120 degrees Celsius and showed strong performance over 120 charge-discharge cycles, according to scientists at Rice University.

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Tomatoes get boost in growth, antioxidants from nano-sized nutrients

With the world population expected to reach 9 billion by 2050, engineers and scientists are looking for ways to meet the increasing demand for food without also increasing the strain on natural resources, such as water and energy -- an initiative known as the food-water-energy nexus.

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This illustration shows the different effects of the application of nano nutrients on a tomato plant.

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Efforts to Obtain Drug Carrier Nanofibers to Treat Wounds

Iranian researchers produced and studied laboratorial samples of nanofibers that have application in the treatment of wound and infection thanks to their antibacterial properties and ability to prevent the extension of infection.

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Tomatoes get boost in growth, antioxidants from nano-sized nutrients

Ramesh Raliya, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher, and Pratim Biswas, PhD, the Lucy & Stanley Lopata Professor and chair of the Department of Energy, Environmental & Chemical Engineering, both at the School of Engineering & Applied Science at Washington University in St. Louis, are addressing this issue by using nanoparticles to boost the nutrient content and growth of tomato plants. Taking a clue from their work with solar cells, the team found that by using zinc oxide and titanium dioxide nanoparticles, the tomato plants better absorbed light and minerals, and the fruit had higher antioxidant content.

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New Model Presented to Design, Produce Electronic Nanodevices

Iranian researchers presented a new model to design and produce electronic switches.

Results of the research may lead to an appropriate approach to obtain nanometric devices and equipment to be used in electronics, computers, communication and biosciences.

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New Clues to How Gatekeeper for the Cell Nucleus Works

Berkeley Lab scientists study the nuclear pore complex, which contributes to many diseases when it malfunctions

Scientists from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have uncovered new clues to how a molecular machine inside the cell acts as a gatekeeper, allowing some molecules to enter and exit the nucleus while keeping other molecules out.

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NbSe2, a true 2-D superconductor

Very few 2D superconductors exist in nature, and single-layer NbSe2 is the first among them that remains a superconductor in its isolated, 2D form without the need of a special substrate. Furthermore, CDW order - spatial modulation of both the electron density and the atomic lattice (see figure below) - has been revealed to be a genuine 2D electronic phenomenon in NbSe2.

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Atomically resolved STM image of the NbSe2 surface showing CDW modulation.

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Novel 'crumpling' of hybrid nanostructures increases SERS sensitivity

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Illustration of SERS enhancement from a crumpled graphene-Au nanoparticles hybrid structure. Raman spectrum is enhanced the most when the target molecule is situated at the center of Au nanoparticles in valley of crumpled graphene as depicted in inset.

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Graphene could take night-vision technology beyond 'Predator'

Movies such as 1987's "Predator," in which an alien who sees in the infrared hunts down Arnold Schwarzenegger and his team, introduced a generation of sci-fi fans to thermal imaging. Since then, heat-sensing devices have found many real-word applications but have remained relatively expensive and rigid. But a new development featuring graphene,could lead to a flexible, transparent and low-cost infrared vision system.

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A thermal sensor made out of graphene could lead to better night vision technology.

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IMF Staff Concludes Review Mission to Ghana

A team from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), led by Joël Toujas-Bernaté, visited Accra from October 21–November 5, 2015, to conduct discussions on the second review of Ghana’s financial and economic program supported by the IMF’s Extended Credit Facility (ECF). The discussions focused on the implementation of the program, the medium-term outlook and policies needed to restore debt sustainability, macroeconomic stability, and a return to high growth and job creation while protecting the poor.