Scientists develop Solid-State Electrochemical Thermal Transistor

Solid-state thermal transistor demonstrated
The pioneering solid-state electrochemical thermal transistor developed in this study. Credit: Hiromichi Ohta

In modern electronics, a large amount of heat is produced as waste during usage—this is why devices such as laptops and mobile phones become warm during use, and require cooling solutions. In the last decade, the concept of managing this heat using electricity has been tested, leading to the development of electrochemical thermal transistors—devices that can be used to control heat flow with electrical signals. Currently, liquid-state thermal transistors are in use, but have critical limitations: chiefly, any leakage causes the device to stop working.

A research team at Hokkaido University lead by Professor Hiromichi Ohta at the Research Institute for Electronic science ...

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The Swan Song of a Cloud Approaching the Milky Way’s Supermassive Black Hole

KECK OBSERVATORY NIRC2 AND ADAPTIVE OPTICS IMAGE TAKEN IN SUMMER 2021 SHOWING THE GAS AND DUST STRUCTURES IN THE GALACTIC CENTER, INCLUDING G OBJECTS AND X7.
Credit: A. Ciurlo et al./UCLA GCOI/W. M. Keck Observatory

Two decades of monitoring from W. M. Keck Observatory on Mauna Kea in Hawaiʻi reveals a peculiar cloud dubbed X7 being pulled apart as it accelerates toward the supermassive black hole at the center of our Milky Way galaxy.

Astronomers from the UCLA Galactic Center Orbits Initiative (GCOI) and Keck Observatory have been tracking the evolution of this dusty gas filament since 2002; high-angular resolution near-infrared images captured with Keck Observatory’s powerful adaptive optics system show X7 has become so elongated that it now has a length of 3,000 times the distanc...

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Large study finds that Air Pollution Speeds Bone Loss from Osteoporosis

Air Pollution Speeds Bone Loss from Osteoporosis: Large Study
Bayesian kernel machine regression univariate exposure-response plots with 95% credible intervals for the effect of each pollutant on the different bone mineral density sites evaluated. Credit: eClinicalMedicine (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2023.101864

Elevated levels of air pollutants are associated with bone damage among postmenopausal women, according to new research led by scientists at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. The effects were most evident on the lumbar spine, with nitrous oxides twice as damaging to the area as in normal aging.

The research findings appear in the journal eClinicalMedicine.

Previous studies on individual pollutants have suggested adverse effects on bone mineral density, osteoporosis risk, and fractures in older individuals...

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New Receiver Chip Blocks Signal Interference that Slows Mobile Device Performance and Drains Batteries

New chip for mobile devices knocks out unwanted signals
MIT researchers have developed a receiver chip for a mobile device that targets and blocks unwanted radio frequency signals at the receiver’s input, without hurting its performance or slowing down the device. Credit: MIT News. Chip image courtesy of the researchers.

Imagine sitting in a packed stadium for a pivotal football game—tens of thousands of people are using mobile phones at the same time, perhaps video chatting with friends or posting photos on social media. The radio frequency signals being sent and received by all these devices could cause interference, which slows device performance and drains batteries.

Designing devices that can efficiently block unwanted signals is no easy task, especially as 5G networks become more universal and future generations of wireless com...

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