Researchers have uncovered how the halogen bond can be exploited to direct sequential dynamics in multi-functional crystals, offering crucial insights for developing ultrafast-response times for multilevel optical storage. Halogen bonds are intermolecular interactions that arise from the attraction between a halogen atom (group 17 elements in the periodic table) and another atom with lone pairs, … Read more
Cellular respiration is a fundamental biological process that occurs in living cells to generate energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). This process involves the breakdown of organic molecules, such as glucose, through a series of biochemical reactions that release energy stored in chemical bonds. Cellular respiration is essential for the survival and functioning … Read more
A collaborative research team from Nanjing University of Science and Technology (NJUST) and East China Normal University (ECNU) has theoretically proposed that a pump-probe high-harmonic spectroscopy (HHS) driven by VUV-IR pulses can catch the geometric phase (GP) effect around the conical intersection (CI) and distinguish its quantitative behavior from the case of avoided crossing (AC). … Read more
Over the last 20 years, the life sciences have come to realize that all living beings—from the simplest animal and plant organisms to humans—live in close association with a multitude of microorganisms. Together with the multicellular host organism, these symbiotic bacteria, viruses and fungi, which colonize on and in their tissues and form the so-called … Read more
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing the field of astronomy by enabling new approaches to data analysis, pattern recognition, and knowledge discovery. From processing vast amounts of observational data to enhancing simulations, AI techniques are enhancing our understanding of the universe and accelerating scientific discoveries. The role of AI in astronomy encompasses a wide range of … Read more
A recent study published in the PNAS shows that western Central Asia has experienced a long-term drying trend over the past 7,800 years. This discovery, based on the analysis of a stalagmite from the Fergana Valley in Kyrgyzstan, adds a critical piece to the understanding of westerly-influenced hydroclimatic patterns in Central Asia. Central Asia is … Read more
Water determines life: humans are three-quarters water. An international research team led by the University of Amsterdam (UvA) has now discovered how water also determines the structure of the material that holds us together: collagen. In a paper published in PNAS, the researchers elucidate the role of water in the molecular self-assembly of collagen. They … Read more
A University of Kansas study of rare gene mutations that cause hereditary Alzheimer’s disease shows these mutations disrupt the production of a small sticky protein called amyloid. Plaques composed of amyloid are notoriously found in the brain in Alzheimer’s disease and have long been considered responsible for the inexorable loss of neurons and cognitive decline. … Read more
A research team led by Professor Wang Cheng from the Department of Electrical Engineering (EE) at City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) has developed a world-leading microwave photonic chip that is capable of performing ultrafast analog electronic signal processing and computation using optics. The chip, which is 1,000 times faster and consumes less energy than … Read more