Tech

Today's mobile lifestyle depends on rechargeable lithium batteries. But to take these storage devices to the next level -- to shore up the electric grid or for widespread use in vehicles, for example -- they need a big boost in capacity. To get lithium batteries up to snuff for more ambitious applications, researchers report in the journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces a new solution that involves low-cost, renewable loofah sponges.

Many chemists are familiar with taking trips to the espresso machine while running late-night experiments, but until now these excursions were merely undertaken for the caffeine boost. A group recently reported in ACS' Analytical Chemistry, however, that espresso machines can quickly and inexpensively perform some complex chemistry experiments, such as testing for harmful compounds in the environment.

Audiophiles have reason to celebrate. Vinyl records are experiencing a comeback, and scientists are working to make their sound quality even better. An article in Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), the weekly newsmagazine of the American Chemical Society, takes a look at how past inventions led to the classic vinyl record, or LP, and what the future might hold.

University of Utah materials science and engineering associate professor Mike Scarpulla wants to shed light on semiconductors -- literally.

Boston, MA -- Consuming a plant-based diet--especially one rich in high-quality plant foods such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes--is linked with substantially lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to a new study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (http://www.ucr.edu) -- Most Americans go online for information and support about health-related issues. But what exactly are they looking for? Researchers at the University of California, Riverside shed light on this in a new study that examines how different people in different places use the internet to discuss their health. Titled "Demographic-Based Content Analysis of Online Health-Related Social media," the study was published today (June 13) in the Journal of Medical Internet Research.

ROCHESTER, Minn. -- Researchers at Mayo Clinic have identified the enzyme, called CD38, that is responsible for the decrease in nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) during aging, a process that is associated with age-related metabolic decline. Results demonstrated an increase in the presence of CD38 with aging in both mice and humans. The results appear today in Cell Metabolism.

Washington, DC - June 9, 2016 -The microbial mix found in grape juice during the winemaking process may help shape the terroir of a finished wine, report food scientists at the University of California, Davis. In a study published in the May/June issue of mBio, an online open-access journal from the American Society of Microbiology, the researchers found that the microorganisms found in must - freshly-pressed grape juice, before fermentation - can be used as biomarkers to predict which metabolites will be found in the finished wine.

In the lead up to the World Barista Championships, University of Bath scientists say brewing more flavoursome coffee could be as simple as chilling the beans before grinding.

A team from the University working with renowned Bath coffee shop Colonna & Smalls found that chilling roasted beans before grinding resulted in narrower distribution of small particles, which during the brewing process allows access to more flavour from the same amount of coffee.

Modern intensive agriculture has generally led to the decline in farmland biodiversity, such as plants and animals. However, information on the impacts of human activities on soil microbial diversity is scarce, and often inconclusive. Such paucity is in part due to the difficulties in obtaining appropriate contrast samples for comparison.

DENVER, COLO. (JUNE 14, 2016) - New research shows that an over-the-counter sleep aid helps people suffering from occasional sleep difficulties fall asleep in less than 20 minutes, on average, and improves their reported quality of sleep. The study is the first-of-its-kind to characterize the sleep benefits of diphenhydramine HCI (DPH), marketed for decades as a sleep-aid.

Residents of Wink and neighboring Kermit have grown accustomed to the two giant sinkholes that sit between their small West Texas towns.

But now radar images taken of the sinkholes by an orbiting space satellite reveal big changes may be on the horizon.

A new study by geophysicists at Southern Methodist University, Dallas, finds the massive sinkholes are unstable, with the ground around them subsiding, suggesting the holes could pose a bigger hazard sometime in the future.

National surveys suggest ecstasy (the street name for the drug MDMA) use has decreased substantially among adolescents and young adults in the US since 2001; however, the recent phenomenon of "Molly" (ecstasy marketed as "pure MDMA") may be leading to underreporting of use as not all users are aware that "Molly" is a form of ecstasy.

OAK RIDGE, Tenn., June 13, 2016--A new study published in Nature Climate Change indicates soil moisture levels will determine how much carbon is released to the atmosphere as rising temperatures thaw Arctic lands.

In addition to looking nice, covering soil with wood mulch can actually help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, UBC research shows.

In a recent study undertaken in Kelowna-area apple orchards and vineyards, UBC researchers discovered that using mulch in agriculture can cut nitrous oxide emissions up to 28 per cent.