Self-healing reverse filter allows large particles through, but excludes smaller particles and gases.
Credit: Tak-Sing Wong/Birgitt Boschitsch, Penn State

A self-healing membrane that acts as a reverse filter, blocking small particles and letting large ones through, is the “straight out of science fiction” work of a team of Penn State mechanical engineers. “Conventional filters, like those used to make coffee, allow small objects to pass through while keeping larger objects contained,” said Birgitt Boschitsch, graduate student in mechanical engineering.

She and the research team, however, developed the exact opposite, a stabilized liquid material that screens out smaller objects while allowing larger ones to pass through.
The team experimented with liquids for their unique properties...

Divergent effects of resistance and endurance exercise on plasma bile acids, FGF19, and FGF21 in humans

Strength training and cardio exercise affect the body differently with regard to the types of hormones they release into the blood, new research shows. In a new study published in the scientific Journal of Clinical Investigation – Insight, the researchers show that cardio training on an exercise bike causes 3X as large an increase in the production of the hormone FGF21 than strength training with weights. FGF21 has a lot of positive effects on metabolism.

‘Of course it is very exciting for us researchers to see how different forms of physical activity actually affect the body differently...

Credit: Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias

Researchers often assume that massive galaxies host supermassive black holes (SMBHs) in their nuclei. In recent years, observers have sought galaxies that might contain an SMBH that is displaced from its equilibrium position. Among the scenarios that could cause such a displacement are the merger of two SMBHs or the existence of a binary pair of SMBHs, and finding an example would give astronomers information about the evolution of galaxies and the frequency of the formation and mergers of this type of object.

One of the candidates for a displaced SMBH is the giant elliptical galaxy M87, which contains one of the nearest and most studied galactic nuclei (AGN). Previous studies on the displacement of the SMBH of M87 produced conflicting results...

U.S. county distributions.
a: Proportion of Medicare Sample with Diagnosed CKD by County, b: Average PM2.5 (μg/m3) by County, Non-shaded counties had missing information and were not used in the analysis.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0200612.g002

There is good evidence that polluted air increases the risk of respiratory problems such as asthma – as well as organ inflammation, worsening of diabetes and other life-threatening conditions. But new research suggests air pollution can also fuel something else: chronic kidney disease, or CKD, which occurs when a person’s kidneys become damaged or cannot filter blood properly.

Recently published in PLOS ONE, a University of Michigan study highlights the lesser-known connection...