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Neurological disorders, such as trauma, stroke, epilepsy, and various neurodegenerative diseases, often lead to the permanent loss of neurons, causing significant impairments in brain function. Current treatment options are limited, primarily due to the challenge of replacing lost neurons.

Direct neuronal , a complex procedure that involves changing the function of one type of cell into another, offers a promising strategy.

In cell culture and in living organisms, glial cells—the non-neuronal cells in the central nervous system—have been successfully transformed into functional neurons. However, the processes involved in this reprogramming are complex and require further understanding. This complexity presents a challenge, but also a motivation, for researchers in the field of neuroscience and regenerative medicine.

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One of the challenges of cramming smarter and more powerful electronics into ever-shrinking devices is developing the tools and techniques to analyze the materials that make them up with increasingly intimate precision.

Physicists at Michigan State University have taken a long-awaited step on that front with an approach that combines high-resolution microscopy with ultrafast lasers.

The technique, described in the journal Nature Photonics, enables researchers to spot misfit atoms in semiconductors with unparalleled precision. Semiconductor physics labels these atoms as “defects,” which sounds negative, but they’re usually added to materials on purpose and are critically important to the performance of semiconductors in today’s—and tomorrow’s—devices.

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New research has unraveled the complex dynamics of the planetary boundary layer, enhancing satellite detection of atmospheric pollutants and aiding environmental management and climate modeling efforts.

A new study has provided groundbreaking insights into Earth’s planetary boundary layer (PBL), a crucial area that affects air quality and climate. By analyzing satellite data, researchers have explored how the temperature gradient from the surface to the atmosphere impacts the identification of atmospheric pollutants, offering a deeper understanding of atmospheric thermal contrasts (TC).

The endeavor to keep tabs on and curb air pollution has been stymied by the enigmatic nature of the planetary boundary layer (PBL). This atmospheric strip, in constant caresses with the Earth’s surface, is a hotbed for pollutants. Yet, its mercurial dance through time and across geographies presents a formidable scientific puzzle. Given these hurdles, an in-depth dissection of the thermal contrast (TC) that delineates this layer is imperative.

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In the past decade, metal-halide perovskites have rapidly progressed as a semiconductor, surpassing silicon in their ability to convert light into electric current since their initial discovery.

Simulations on TACC’s Frontera and Lonestar6 supercomputers have revealed surprising vortex structures in quasiparticles of electrons and atoms, called polarons, which contribute to generating electricity from sunlight.

This new discovery can help scientists develop new solar cells and LED lighting. This type of lighting is hailed as an eco-friendly, sustainable technology that can reshape the future of illumination.

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Recent observations by ESA’s XMM-Newton and NASA ’s Chandra have revealed three unusually cold, young neutron stars, challenging current models by showing they cool much faster than expected.

This finding has significant implications, suggesting that only a few of the many proposed neutron star models are viable, and pointing to a potential breakthrough in linking the theories of general relativity and quantum mechanics through astrophysical observations.

Discovery of unusually cold neutron stars.

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Arc Institute scientists have discovered the bridge recombinase mechanism, a revolutionary tool that enables fully programmable DNA rearrangements.

Their finding, detailed in a recent Nature publication, is the first DNA recombinase that uses a non-coding RNA for sequence-specific selection of target and donor DNA molecules. This bridge RNA is programmable, allowing the user to specify any desired genomic target sequence and any donor DNA molecule to be inserted.

The research was developed in collaboration with the labs of Silvana Konermann, Arc Institute Core Investigator and Stanford University Assistant Professor of Biochemistry, and Hiroshi Nishimasu, Professor of Structural Biology at the University of Tokyo.

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The World Intellectual Property Organization – @WIPO publishes the “Patent Landscape Report on Generative AI.” https://www.wipo.int/web-publications/patent-landscape-repor…index.html.

- 54,000 GenAI-related inventions (patent families) were filed and more…

Generative AI is booming. It is a cutting-edge technology that is poised to disrupt various economic, social, and cultural sectors, and it extends far beyond simple human-like text generation using chatbots. Drawing on original analysis of patent and scientific data, the WIPO patent landscape report on Generative AI provides a snapshot of the patent situation for GenAI.

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