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Neural ‘barcodes’: Intra-regional brain dynamics linked to person-specific characteristics

People can think, behave and function very differently. These observed differences are known to be the result of complex interactions between genetics, neurobiological processes and life experiences.

Understanding the factors underlying in behavior, cognition and mental health is a key objective of numerous psychology and behavioral science studies. One approach to explore these factors entails examining patterns of brain activity that spontaneously emerge when individuals are awake but not engaged in any tasks.

Earlier research aimed at uncovering individual-specific brain activity patterns has primarily looked at the neural fluctuations indicating communication or coupling between distant brain regions. In contrast, very few studies have focused on intra-regional neural dynamics (i.e., fluctuations that take place within individual brain regions over time).

Nature-inspired navigation system helps robots traverse complex environments without GPS

Robots could soon be able to autonomously complete search and rescue missions, inspections, complex maintenance operations and various other real-world tasks. To do this, however, they should be able to smoothly navigate unknown and complex environments without breaking down or getting stuck, which would require human intervention.

Most autonomous navigation systems rely on global positioning systems (GPS), which can provide information about where a robot is located within a map. In many environments, however, including caves, unstructured spaces and collapsed buildings, GPS systems either do not work or become unreliable.

Researchers at Beijing Institute of Technology recently developed a new nature-inspired system that could improve robot navigation in unstructured and complex environments, without relying on GPS technology. Their proposed framework— outlined in a paper set to be published in Cell Press and currently available on the SSRN preprint server—is inspired by three distinct biological navigation strategies observed in insects, birds and rodents.

Low-grade heat from renewable sources could be used to desalinate water

A McGill University-led research team has demonstrated the feasibility of a sustainable and cost-effective way to desalinate seawater. The method—thermally driven reverse osmosis (TDRO)—uses a piston-based system powered by low-grade heat from solar thermal, geothermal heat and other sources of renewable energy to produce fresh water.

Though previous research showed promise, this study is the first to analyze TDRO’s thermodynamic limits. The results have brought researchers closer to realizing the technology which could improve access to water and increase the sustainability of infrastructure.

“Most desalination is done by , which uses electricity to drive water through a membrane,” said Jonathan Maisonneuve, study co-author and Associate Professor of Bioresource Engineering.

Fighting poverty may require cultural wisdom, not just cash

Most poverty-fighting efforts focus on meeting basic material needs, such as food and shelter. But this overlooks the psychological and cultural factors that shape how people take action in their lives.

University of Michigan researchers found that psychosocial programs designed to support women’s agency in Niger, West Africa, were effective in promoting women’s economic empowerment when grounded in local values—such as social harmony, respectfulness and collective progress—but not a Western-style program grounded in individual ambition.

The new study highlights how culturally attuned approaches to empowerment can offer a powerful pathway for reducing . The research, published in the latest issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, introduces a “culturally wise” approach: psychosocial programs that honor diverse worldviews and community values.

HD⁺ ions cooled to 18 mK yield most precise vibrational-rotational spectra to date

A research team from the Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology (APM) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has made significant progress in precisely measuring the vibrational-rotational spectra of hydrogen molecular ions (HD⁺).

The researchers prepared a Be⁺-HD⁺ two-component ion Coulomb crystal at millikelvin temperatures in a linear ion trap. They developed an innovative quantum state preparation and spatially resolved fluorescence detection techniques and used these to measure the high-resolution vibrational-rotational transition spectra of HD⁺ molecular ions. Their findings were published in Physical Review A.

HD⁺ is the simplest heteronuclear molecular ion, composed of one proton, one deuteron, and one electron. Its vibrational-rotational transition energies can be precisely calculated, making it an ideal system for testing quantum electrodynamics (QED) theory and determining , such as the proton-electron mass ratio.

Randomly aligned defects explain low thermal conductivity in some materials

QUT researchers have identified why some materials can block heat more effectively, which is a key feature for energy conversion, insulation and gas storage.

The research, published in Nature Communications, discovered a structural mechanism that explains why some materials with uneven composition exhibit exceptionally . This is a property vital for the conversion of heat into .

The first author, Siqi Liu, said the findings challenged conventional models that overlook the role of microstructural features.

Unique resin allows 3D-printing method to add and subtract

Additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, is normally a one-way street. In a digital light processing (DLP) printer, a structured pattern is projected onto a layer of liquid resin, which cures and solidifies. This builds an object up, layer-by-layer. But if the print isn’t exactly right, there’s no easy way to fix it after the fact: it usually ends up in the trash.

In a new study, published in Advanced Materials Technologies, researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) developed a hybrid additive and subtractive manufacturing system with a unique that enhances traditional 3D printing by introducing dual-wavelength behavior. Under , the resin cures and hardens. Under , it degrades back into a liquid. The hybrid printing system enables corrective manufacturing, provides improved print resolution and allows for upcycling and recycling of parts.

“Imagine if a company needed a part to fit a certain machine but it’s a prototype and they’re not quite sure what they want,” said LLNL scientist and author Benjamin Alameda. “They could theoretically print with our resin. And if there were defects or something they wanted to change about it, they don’t have to print a whole new part. They could just shine another wavelength on it and modify the existing part. That’s useful and less wasteful.”

Astronomers Discover Potentially Habitable “Super-Earth” Just 18 Light-Years Away

Astronomers from the University of California, Irvine have discovered a planet orbiting within the “habitable zone” of its host star, a region where temperatures may allow liquid water to exist on the surface. Because water is essential for all known forms of life, this finding raises the possibility that the planet could have life-supporting conditions.

Located in a relatively nearby area of the Milky Way Galaxy, the planet appears to be rocky like Earth but several times more massive, earning it the classification of a “super-Earth.” The team of UC Irvine scientists and their collaborators describe their analysis of the planet in a new paper published in The Astronomical Journal.

“We have found so many exoplanets at this point that discovering a new one is not such a big deal,” said co-author Paul Robertson, UC Irvine associate professor of physics & astronomy. “What makes this especially valuable is that its host star is close by, at just about 18 light-years away. Cosmically speaking, it’s practically next door.”

This Magnetic Discovery Could Be the Key to Ultrafast, Low-Energy Chips

Scientists have uncovered how tiny magnetic waves can produce electric signals inside materials, potentially transforming computing efficiency.

The discovery could lead to ultrafast, low-power chips that merge magnetic and electric systems seamlessly.

Linking magnetic waves and electric signals.

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