A groundbreaking technological advancement from Tel Aviv University has, for the first time, enabled the application of the scientific phenomenon of superlubricity in electronic components. As a result, the research team successfully harnessed frictionless sliding to significantly enhance the performance of memory components in computers and other electronic devices.

This study reviews the use of extrusion in processing wheat-based products. It highlights that extrusion parameters—such as temperature, pressure, die size, and shear rate—significantly influence the microstructure and nutritional properties, including starch gelatinization and protein denaturation. These findings suggest that extrusion can enhance nutrient retention and drive product innovation, addressing challenges in traditional wheat processing.

Researchers have developed a pipeline that integrates zero-shot AI detection and segmentation tools to achieve robust, automated segmentation of remote sensing images. By leveraging a sliding window hyper-inference approach and an outlier rejection step, the pipeline enhances the identification of features such as buildings, trees, and vehicles in aerial and satellite imagery. This solution is implemented as a user-friendly Python package, LangRS, making advanced remote sensing segmentation accessible to a wide range of users.

Tokyo, Japan – Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have carried out an unprecedentedly detailed survey of pumice rafts in the aftermath of the 2021 Fukutoku-Oka-no-Ba volcanic eruption in Japan. Using samples from 213 different locations, they considered raft density, the size and roundness of individual pumice, and biological species attached. Their findings revealed three phases in the evolution of drift pumice, involving rounding, fragmentation, and the diversification of attached biological organisms over time.

As traditional candles burn, they can contribute to indoor air pollution by emitting volatile compounds and smoke, which may pose inhalation risks. Scented wax melts are often marketed as safer alternatives to candles because they’re flame- and smoke-free. But in a study in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology Letters, researchers describe how aroma compounds released from the melted wax can react with ozone in indoor air to form potentially toxic particles.

Agricultural fertilizers are critical for feeding the world’s population, restoring soil fertility and sustaining crops. Excessive and inefficient use of those resources can present an environmental threat, contaminating waterways and generating greenhouse gases such as nitrous oxide. Now, researchers reporting in ACS Agricultural Science & Technology have addressed those challenges with glass fertilizer beads. The beads control nutrient release, and the researchers say they’re environmentally compatible.