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Forest Scene

Study sheds new light on forests' response to atmospheric pollution

7/12/18

How forests respond to elevated nitrogen levels from atmospheric pollution is not always the same. While a forest is filtering nitrogen as expected, a higher percentage than previously seen is leaving the system again as the potent greenhouse gas nitrous oxide, say researchers.

Blazar

Identification of deep-space source for a neutrino heralds new era for astronomy

7/12/18

The first-ever identification of a deep-space source of the super-energetic subatomic high-energy neutrino particles has launched a new era of space research. Detection of one such neutrino beneath the Antarctic ice sent a global team of astronomers racing to track down its origins: a flaring supermassive black hole 3.7 billion light years from Earth. A report will be published in the journal Science by the IceCube team and collaborators, including multiple Penn State coauthors.

spreading depolarization in brain

Your brain with a migraine

7/2/18

When migraine sufferers see the tell-tale squiggly lines, light flashes and blind spots of a migraine aura, they prepare for a migraine. When researchers see the brain image of an aura, they try to figure out what causes it and if there is a way to stop the start of the migraine. Now an international team of researchers has identified the electrical activity specific to the start of migraines and demonstrated a way to stop it in animal experiments.

ZnO-MXene schematic

Sintering atomically thin materials with ceramics now possible

6/29/18

For the first time, researchers have created a nanocomposite of ceramics and a two-dimensional material, opening the door for new designs of nanocomposites with such applications as solid-state batteries, thermoelectrics, varistors, catalysts, chemical sensors and much more.

fast charging battery

Self-heating, fast-charging battery makes electric vehicles climate-immune

6/28/18

Californians do not purchase electric vehicles because they are cool, they buy EVs because they live in a warm climate. Conventional lithium-ion batteries cannot be rapidly charged at temperatures below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, but now a team of Penn State engineers has created a battery that can self-heat, allowing rapid charging regardless of the outside chill.

Chunshan Song and Xiao Jiang

Carbon dioxide-to-methanol process improved by catalyst

6/28/18

Dramatic improvements have been made to the process of converting carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, to methanol, a fuel and building block for a wide range of everyday materials, according to Penn State researchers.

Bee close-up

Scientists find evidence of 27 new viruses in bees

6/21/18

An international team of researchers has discovered evidence of 27 previously unknown viruses in bees. The finding could help scientists design strategies to prevent the spread of viral pathogens among these important pollinators.

walking in labyrinth

Mindful movement may help lower stress, anxiety

6/21/18

Taking a walk may be a good opportunity to mentally review your to-do list, but using the time to instead be more mindful of your breathing and surroundings may help boost your wellbeing, according to researchers who found that while students reported being less stressed while they were on their feet and moving, they received an even greater benefit when they reported also being more mindful.

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