Researchers from the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with other institutions, have quantifed how cell-to-cell inconsistency undermines electric vehicle battery pack performance.

When tiny devices called MEMS (used in microphones, biosensors) undergo physical stress, their performance is compromised. Researchers found a new way to track this stress using a sensor that is part of the device.

Many cutting-edge technologies rely on molecules that can be switched on and off with light, but making them respond efficiently to visible light without losing stability has long been a challenge. Researchers at Tohoku University, working with Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, solved this by attaching a "molecular antenna" that captures visible light and funnels the energy directly into the photoswitch, achieving some of the highest visible-light sensitivities ever reported.

ATLANTA — A multi-institutional research team led by Georgia State University Regents’ Professor Emerita of Biochemistry and Biophysical Chemistry Jenny J. Yang has developed a new class of protein-based MRI contrast agent that detects invasive lung cancer and metastatic disease at earlier stages than conventional imaging approaches. Results of this research, recently published in the journal Science Advances, report a precision MRI method that can identify tumors and metastases as small as 1 millimeter.

Does every new sound require a new apparatus? In the Holocentridae, the answer is no. These reef-dwelling fish first developed a common anatomical structure, then learnt to use it in different ways - much like musicians each playing their own rhythm on the same drum. This is demonstrated by an international study led by researchers from the Laboratory of Functional and Evolutionary Morphology at the University of Liège.

Scientists developed a strategy to mitigate this backflow hazard by sculpting tiny and self-regulating "liquid diodes" directly inside the ultra-narrow tips of flexible catheters. Published in the International Journal of Extreme Manufacturing, researchers at Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Beijing Institute of Technology inscribed three-dimensional Tesla microvalves inside 100-micrometer channels using ultrashort laser pulses.

A University of Iowa-led chemistry team has isolated an atypical form of the rare-earth metal terbium – under normal environmental conditions. The breakthrough could make terbium and similar metals easier to separate and study, potentially expanding their use in quantum technologies, electronics, medicine, and other applications. Results published in the journal Nature Communications.