Archived Intelligence
A new clinical trial reveals that a powerful immunotherapy-chemotherapy combination is just as effective against advanced lung cancer in patients with HIV as in those without. This finding opens up a standard treatment avenue for a previously understudied group, though it highlights a need for careful monitoring of opportunistic infections.
Scientists have paired a cost-effective, portable spectrometer with a powerful AI to overcome its main limitations. This artificial intelligence transforms noisy, low-resolution chemical 'fingerprints' into sharp, high-resolution data, enabling the accurate and real-time identification of molecules like pharmaceutical drugs.
Scientists have developed a new technique to study large groups of quantum dots at once, overcoming the limitations of single-dot analysis. This method provides clearer data, revealing for the first time how multiple energy packets, or excitons, can switch from attracting to repelling each other within the tiny crystals.
A common biofuel additive, 4-methylcyclohexanol, breaks down rapidly in the atmosphere, often in a matter of hours. However, theoretical modelling reveals its decomposition can follow different chemical pathways, some creating persistent toxic substances while others result in more environmentally benign products.
Scientists have engineered a new cathode material that significantly enhances the performance and durability of aluminium-sulphur batteries. The material, a cobalt-based Prussian blue analogue, uses a robust metal-organic framework to effectively confine key chemical compounds, paving the way for more resilient energy storage.
Scientists have developed a new artificial intelligence called GAT-HiC that accurately reconstructs the complex three-dimensional shape of chromosomes. Its key advantage is a remarkable ability to generalise, allowing a model trained on one type of genetic data to accurately infer the structure from completely dissimilar data.
Coastal habitats like mangroves and seagrass beds along the Chinese coast are acting as powerful traps for microplastics, storing up to 3.8 times more than adjacent bare mudflats. This natural sequestration not only removes plastic pollution from the water but also prevents the release of greenhouse gases that would result from their decomposition, offering a new perspective on carbon-pollution interactions.
In the nematode worm C. elegans, the physical act of skin cells fusing together has been revealed as a crucial trigger for development. This cellular merger helps to switch on the correct genetic programme, pushing the organism from an embryonic to a larval stage.
Scientists have long understood the genetics of the rare 4q- syndrome, but the physical changes it causes in the brain remained a mystery. A detailed post-mortem examination of an infant's brain has now revealed specific structural abnormalities, helping to link the missing genetic code to the severe developmental symptoms seen in the condition.
Scientists have designed a novel 'raft' structure for platinum oxide catalysts, dramatically boosting their ability to neutralise toxic carbon monoxide. This new configuration works at much lower temperatures than previous designs, like single atoms or clusters, by preventing the 'poisoning' that often hinders performance.
Scientists have long struggled to observe sexual reproduction in diatoms, a key type of ocean phytoplankton, leading to the belief it was a rare event. A new method using a panel of genetic markers has overturned this view, revealing that diatoms are actively engaging in sex across the world's oceans. This finding is crucial for understanding the life cycle and evolutionary success of these vital micro-organisms.
By analysing chemical fingerprints in a Nevada cave, scientists have reconstructed 580,000 years of climate history in the American southwest. They found that while temperature and ice sheets were major drivers of change, vegetation growth paradoxically plummeted during the warmest periods due to a sharp drop in available water.