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Category: computing – Page 22

Brain structure changes in people who work long hours

If you need an excuse to turn off the laptop over the weekend or rein in overtime, scientists have found that working extended hours actually changes parts of the brain linked to emotional regulation, working memory and solving problems. While we know the toll that “overwork” takes physically and mentally, the precise neurological impact has not been well understood.

An international team of researchers including scientists from Korea’s Chung-Ang University assessed 110 healthcare workers – 32 who worked excessive hours (52 or more per week) and 78 who clocked less than 52 hours per week, or what would be considered closer to standard hours in the field. Voxel based morphometry (VBM) to assess gray matter and atlas-based analysis was then applied to MRI scans of each individual’s brain, identifying volume and connectivity differences.

When the scientists adjusted the results to account for age and sex, they found that, in the overworked cohort, the imaging showed a significant difference in brain volume in 17 different regions of the organ – including the middle frontal gyrus (MFG), insula and superior temporal gyrus (STG). Atlas-based analysis identified that, in the overworked individuals, there was 19% more volume in the left caudal MFG. The MFG – part of the brain’s frontal lobe – is the heavy lifter when it comes to executive functioning like emotional regulation, working memory, attention and planning, while the STG’s main task is auditory and language processing. The insula, meanwhile, is key in pain processing and other sensory signaling.

Subtle ligand modifications in aluminum complexes unlock enhanced solid-state light emission

Artificial light, once a luxury, has become central to modern life, with its evolution spanning from fire to LEDs. Now, researchers have developed a new class of efficient light-emitting materials as promising candidates to be applied to lighten the darkness. They demonstrated easily accessible aluminum-based organometallic complexes that have the potential to be applied in optoelectronic devices.

The research team is from the Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw and Warsaw University of Technology led by Prof. Janusz Lewiński in collaboration with Prof. Andrew E. H. Wheatley from Cambridge University. The paper is published in the journal Angewandte Chemie International Edition.

Growing demand for artificial light spurred the development of energy-efficient solutions like fluorescent lamps and, later, light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Once dropped, LEDs became ubiquitous in homes and portable devices.

From landslides to pharmaceuticals: High-precision model simulates complex granular and fluid interactions

A research team from the School of Engineering at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology has developed a new computational model to study the movement of granular materials such as soils, sands and powders. By integrating the dynamic interactions among particles, air and water phases, this state-of-the-art system can accurately predict landslides, improve irrigation and oil extraction systems, and enhance food and drug production processes.

The flow of granular materials—such as soil, sand and powders used in pharmaceuticals and food production—is the underlying mechanism governing many natural settings and industrial operations. Understanding how these particles interact with surrounding fluids like water and air is crucial for predicting behaviors such as soil collapse or fluid leakage.

However, existing models face challenges in accurately capturing these interactions, especially in partially saturated conditions where forces like and viscosity come into play.

A superconducting diode: Researchers successfully control the direction of current in a superconductor

What would happen if you combined the unparalleled efficiency of a superconductor with the flexibility and controllability of a semiconductor? Thanks to a new breakthrough in quantum materials, we may be getting an answer soon.

In an article published in Communications Physics, a multi-institutional research team led by The University of Osaka announces the successful observation of the so-called superconducting diode effect in an Fe(Se, Te)/FeTe heterostructure. The paper is titled “A scaling relation of vortex-induced rectification effects in a superconducting thin-film heterostructure.”

The article describes a series of experiments in which the material developed a preference for current to flow in a particular direction, a phenomenon known as rectification, under a broad range of temperature and magnetic fields.

Applicability of a key quantum law extended to simulation conditions for systems with long-range interactions

The findings are published in the journal Physical Review Letters.

Compared with their classical counterparts, systems made up of many quantum particles—such as quantum computers—are horrendously complex to analyze and simulate. This complexity is due in part to the strong correlations between particles, which can act over long distances.

Naturally occurring clay material has sought-after properties for use in quantum technology

In the future, quantum technology will become the standard for extremely fast computers. These kinds of machines will be important in everything from space technology to mineral exploration and the development of new medicines.

“Quantum technology is often associated with that have been developed in advanced, completely clean environments,” says Professor Jon Otto Fossum from NTNU’s Department of Physics.

But Fossum and colleagues have good news.

Bismuth’s mask uncovered: Implications for quantum computing and spintronics materials

Whether bismuth is part of a class of materials highly suitable for quantum computing and spintronics was a long‑standing issue. Kobe University research has now revealed that the true nature of bismuth was masked by its surface, and in doing so uncovered a new phenomenon relevant to all such materials.

The team have published their results in a letter in the journal Physical Review B.

There is a class of materials that are insulators in their bulk, but robustly conductive at their surface. As this conductivity does not suffer from defects or impurities, such “topological materials,” as they are called, are expected to be highly suitable for use in quantum computers, spintronics and other advanced electronic applications.

Light is the science of the future: The Africans using it to solve local challenges

Light is all around us, essential for one of our primary senses (sight) as well as life on Earth itself. It underpins many technologies that affect our daily lives, including energy harvesting with solar cells, light-emitting-diode (LED) displays and telecommunications through fiber optic networks.

The smartphone is a great example of the power of light. Inside the box, its electronic functionality works because of quantum mechanics. The front screen is an entirely photonic device: liquid crystals controlling light. The back too: white light-emitting diodes for a flash, and lenses to capture images.

We use the word photonics, and sometimes optics, to capture the harnessing of light for and technologies. Their importance in is celebrated every year on 16 May with the International Day of Light.

A new study provides insights into cleaning up noise in quantum entanglement

Quantum entanglement—a connection between particles that produces correlations beyond what is classically possible—will be the backbone of future quantum technologies, including secure communication, cloud quantum computing, and distributed sensing. But entanglement is fragile; noise from the environment degrades entangled states over time, leaving scientists searching for methods to improve the fidelity of noisy entangled states.

Now, researchers at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (UChicago PME), University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and Microsoft have shown that it is fundamentally impossible to design a single one-size-fits-all protocol to counteract that noise.

“In , we often hope for a protocol that works in all scenarios—a kind of cure-all,” said Asst. Prof. Tian Zhong, senior author of the new work published in Physical Review Letters. “This result shows that when it comes to purifying entanglement, that’s simply too good to be true.”