Physical picture of the electron gas expanding in the magnetic wall, where Q = 0 for the adiabatic expansion, resulting in a change of the internal energy of the electron gas is equal to the work done on their surroundings. The magnetic field can behave as a flexible wall with no heat transfer, i.e., the perfectly adiabatic wall. Credit: Kazunori Takahashi

Extending thermodynamics to out of equilibrium electron gas in a magnetic nozzle. Thermodynamics provides insight into the internal energy of a system and the energy interaction with its surroundings. This relies on the local thermal equilibrium of a system. A challenging topic of research has been the application of classical thermodynamics to out of equilibrium systems, e.g...

The ESPRESSO instrument on ESO’s Very Large Telescope in Chile has used the combined light of all four of the 8.2-meter Unit Telescopes for the first time. Combining light from the Unit Telescopes in this way makes the VLT the largest optical telescope in existence in terms of collecting area. This picture shows in highly simplified form how the light collected by all four VLT Unit Telescopes is combined in the ESPRESSO instrument, located under the VLT platform. Credit: ESO/L. Calçada

The ESPRESSO instrument on ESO’s Very Large Telescope in Chile has used the combined light of all four of the 8.2-meter Unit Telescopes for the first time. Combining light from the Unit Telescopes in this way makes the VLT the largest optical telescope in existence in terms of collecting area...

Metabolic inflammation and NFкB-mediated neuroinflammatory responses in the NAc contribute to the expression of anxiodepressive behavior and heightened food cravings caused by a diet high in saturated fat and sugar.

A diet rich in saturated fat and sugar not only leads to obesity, it creates inflammation in the nucleus accumbens, a part of the brain that controls mood and the feeling of reward. And this inflammation can lead to depressive, anxious and compulsive behaviour and disrupt metabolism, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre (CRCHUM). Published in the journal Molecular Metabolism, the study on mice provides new evidence confirming the harmful effect of saturated fat on health.

“The depressive, anxious and compulsive behaviou...

Computer modeling shows how a tiny lattice is 3-D printed in 150-nanometer layers. When the structure is heated, it can shrink by 80 percent. Credit: Greer Lab/Caltech

By mixing metal ions and organic ligands, scientists have developed a process for the 3D printing of metal structures that are smaller than ever before. The process, once scaled up, could be used in a wide variety of applications, from building tiny medical implants to creating 3D logic circuits on computer chips to engineering ultralightweight aircraft components. It also opens the door to the creation of a new class of materials with unusual properties that are based on their internal structure.

In 3D printing – also known as additive manufacturing – an object is built layer by layer, allowing for the creation of structure...