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When a large ice sheet begins to melt, global-mean sea level rises, but local sea level near the ice sheet may in fact drop. In American Journal of Physics, a researcher illustrates this effect through a series of calculations, beginning with a simple, analytically tractable model and progressing through more sophisticated mathematical estimations of ice distributions and gravitation of displaced seawater mass. The paper includes numerical results for sea level change resulting from a 1,000-gigatonne loss of ice, with parameter values appropriate to the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets.

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In Chaos, researchers developed a model to spatially distribute mosquitoes infected with Wolbachia bacteria, which reduce the transmission of the dengue virus. The researchers use real data on human and vector activity in a framework that can be analyzed from a mathematical point of view, allowing them to re-create and understand the epidemiological situation and identify those geographical areas with the greatest vulnerability, creating a ranking of areas that prioritizes those where Wolbachia-carrying mosquitoes can have the strongest and most beneficial impact on the spread of the virus.

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In Journal of Applied Physics, researchers in India are asking why, after decades of development and promising results, ultrawide bandgap photodetectors with deep UV capabilities haven't enjoyed widespread adoption, and are taking stock of advancements and challenges in the field. Unlike their silicon-based counterparts, UWBG photodetectors made from aluminum gallium nitride and gallium (III) oxide are more efficient, can tailor cutoff wavelengths, and do not need optical filters to reject visible or infrared wavelengths for solar-blind applications.

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In Physics of Fluids, researchers from MIT characterized the flow and fracture of Oreos, finding the creme, which is officially "mushy" in rheological texture, tends to stick to one side of the cookie. They placed Oreos in a rheometer, a laboratory instrument they used to measured torque, and after the filling failed and the cookie broke apart, they quantified the amount of creme on each wafer by visual inspection. The authors investigated the influence of milk, cookie flavor, amount of filling, and rotation rate on the final creme distribution.

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In Physics of Fluids, researchers examined how pasta swells, softens, and becomes sticky as it takes up water. They combined measurements of pasta parameters, such as expansion, bending rigidity, and water content to solve a variety of equations to form a theoretical model for the swelling dynamics of starch materials. The team observed how the noodles come together when lifted from a plate by a fork. This provided them with a grounding of how water-driven hygroscopic swelling affects pasta's texture.

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In Physics of Plasmas, scientists report a method to study smaller magnetospheres, sometimes just millimeters thick, in the laboratory. The new experimental platform combines the magnetic field of the Large Plasma Device at UCLA with a fast laser-driven plasma and a current-driven dipole magnet. The LAPD magnetic field provides a model of the solar system's interplanetary magnetic field, while the laser-driven plasma models the solar wind and the dipole magnet provides a model for the Earth's inherent magnetic field. Motorized probes allow system scans in three dimensions by combining data from tens of thousands of laser shots.

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When triggered by some external agent, shockwaves can propagate through molecular clouds of gas and dust to create pockets of dense material. At a certain limit, that dense gas and dust collapses and begins to form new stars. In Matter and Radiation at Extremes, researchers modeled this interaction using a high-power laser and a foam ball. The foam ball represents a dense area within a molecular cloud. The high-power laser creates a blast wave that propagates through a surrounding chamber of gas and into the ball, where the team observed the compression using X-ray images.

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Modern methods of creating plant-based meat can yield high optical similarities and targeted molecular-sensory methods, but on a molecular scale, it appears completely different from the food it tries to mimic. In Physics of Fluids, scientists investigate the molecular function and effects of vegetable proteins of different origins to identify sensory weak points in plant-based substitutes, employing rheology and tribology and bringing greater insight than pure sensory analyses. They said muscle proteins emulsify fats and oils in a very different way while lending to a different biting behavior.

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TEAM-UP Together boldly takes the first steps toward achieving a goal of doubling the number of African Americans graduating college with undergraduate degrees in physics and astronomy by 2030. The AIP Foundation has secured a $12.5 million, five-year grant from the Simons Foundation and Simons Foundation International, and TEAM-UP Together will launch in 2022 with the aim of providing both direct financial support to students and grants to physics and astronomy departments that are committed to changing the lived experience of their African American students.

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In Applied Physics Letters, researchers constructed a photovoltaic cell that harvests energy from the environment during the day and night, making use of the heat leaking from Earth back into space. At night, solar cells radiate and lose heat to the sky, reaching temperatures a few degrees below the ambient air. The device under development uses a thermoelectric module to generate voltage and current from the temperature gradient between the cell and the air. The setup is inexpensive and, in principle, could be incorporated within existing solar cells.

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In The Physics Teacher, researchers explore the goal of culturally relevant pedagogy, which is to center students' cultural resources as a bridge to learning. It relies on a framework of academic excellence, cultural competence, and sociopolitical consciousness and encourages teachers to push their students toward using what they learn within the classroom to challenge injustices in society. These investments in students can be invaluable in turning classrooms into places where students recognize their worth.

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The AIP Longitudinal Survey of Astronomy Graduate Students was initiated by AAS in 2006 to better understand the forms and long-term impacts of harassment in the field of astronomy. The study polled astronomy graduate students during the 2006-07 school year and followed up with those same people in 2012-13 and in 2015-16 after they entered the workplace. Across the study, 33% of the respondents reported experiencing harassment and discrimination at school or work.

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Researchers want to leverage the centuries-old art of cutting paper, kirigami, into designs to develop a sensor sheet that can stretch and breathe with the skin while collecting electrocardiographic data. In Applied Physics Reviews, scientists in Japan use cuts in a film made of polyethylene terephthalate printed with silver electrodes to fit a sensor on a person's chest to monitor his or her heart. At the optimal size found, they were able to detect enough signal from the heart to be used in a smartphone app.

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In Applied Physics Reviews, researchers advocate for a paradigm change in the science of forecasting corrosion damage within reinforced concrete structures. They discuss the severe flaws in using the chloride threshold concept for forecasting corrosion and say change is needed to address the growing challenges of aging structures losing functionality and potentially collapsing, greenhouse gas emissions, and the economy at large. To achieve this, a multiscale, multidisciplinary approach combining scientific and practical contributions from materials science, corrosion science, cement/concrete research, and structural engineering is needed.

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In American Journal of Physics, researchers were inspired by marinated eggs to demonstrate how diffusion works in an easy and quantifiable way. The basis of the recipe is marinating hard boiled eggs in vinegar or brine, which cures the eggs by sufficiently saturating the egg whites via diffusion. In their experiment, the researchers compared penetration levels of red food dye in the whites of peeled hard-boiled eggs at three different temperatures: refrigerator temperature, room temperature, and in a cool convection oven.

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In the Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy, scientists from China show a bionic approach combining features of a seagull's wing with an engineered flow control accessory, known as a Gurney flap, can greatly improve wind turbine performance. To achieve the best aerodynamic performance, the scientists simulated the use of the combined flow control accessory in a variety of situations, including high and low angle of attack and pre- and post-stall scenarios. They compared their computational simulations to experimental results for an aircraft wing undergoing a dynamic stall.

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In Physics of Fluids, researchers in Italy developed a method to leaven pizza dough without yeast. The team, which included its very own professional pizza-maker/graduate student, prepared the dough by mixing water, flour, and salt and placing it in a hot autoclave, an industrial device designed to raise temperature and pressure. From there, the process is like the one used to produce carbonation in soda. Gas is dissolved into the dough at high pressure, and bubbles form in the dough as pressure is released during baking.

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In AVS Quantum Science, scientists in Germany review research on gravitational wave detectors as a historical example of quantum technologies and examine the fundamental research on the connection between quantum physics and gravity. The team examined recent gravitational wave experiments, showing it is possible to shield large objects from strong influences from the thermal and seismic environment to allow them to evolve as one quantum object. This decoupling from the environment enables measurement sensitivities that would otherwise be impossible.

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In the Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy, researchers have developed an optimizer tool to design, evaluate, and maximize the performance of different types of solar-powered adsorption under various operating scenarios. The tool was created using Visual Basic programming language that is easy to learn and enables rapid application development and predicted the proper material mass concentration ratios. The method calculated the cooling load, predicted maximal performance, and conducted the overall performance analysis of the cooling system.

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Treating cancer and other diseases with laser light is not currently considered routine, but new approaches using nanoparticles show some promise in improving existing techniques. In Applied Physics Reviews, researchers review the status of the field and by combining photothermal therapy or photodynamic therapy with nanomaterials, they have been able to apply these types of phototherapies while also delivering drugs to sites in the body that are otherwise inaccessible. It is also possible to combine PTT and PDT into a single treatment, creating an even more powerful treatment method.

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While many physics instructors are beginning to incorporate lessons on diversity, equity, and inclusion in the classroom, it can often feel like an add-on rather than an integral component of becoming a physicist. In The Physics Teacher, scientists are helping to change this by presenting discussions and activities on DEI as a fundamental and essential part of physics training. The team created two approaches for DEI curriculum, replacing a question on a weekly homework assignment with a reflection essay on a topic important to physicists and including activities and discussions during a two-day unit on representation.

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Scott Lee is a physics professor at the University of Toledo who has developed numerous learning activities to help intro-level students get enthusiastic about the topic. His latest innovative activity, published in The Physics Teacher, poses the question: Is Usain Bolt faster than a 900-pound dinosaur? The exercise asks students to apply concepts of 1D kinematics -- displacement, speed, velocity, and acceleration -- to determine if the Jamaican sprinter could beat Dilophosaurus wetherilli in a 100-meter race using spreadsheets.

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In Physics of Fluids, researchers focus their expertise and their microscopes on examining the efficacy of particle filtration by woven fabric, which consists of fibers twisted together into yarns. There are, therefore, two lengthscales: the diameters of the fiber and the yarn. Using 3D imagery produced by confocal microscopy to see the air flow channels, the scientists simulate the airflow through these channels and calculate filtration efficiency for particles a micrometer and larger in diameter. The study concludes for particles in this size range, the filtration efficiency is low.

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To understand how hearing loss impacts people, researchers study people's ability to recognize speech, and hearing aid algorithms are often used to improve human speech recognition. In The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, researchers explore a human speech recognition model based on machine learning and deep neural networks. They calculated how many words per sentence a listener understands using automatic speech recognition. The study consisted of eight normal-hearing and 20 hearing-impaired listeners who were exposed to a variety of complex noises that mask the speech.

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In Physics of Fluids, researchers show that fish, through precise control of body fluctuations, generate movable vortex pairs of high- and low-pressure regions that enable them to swim. They used particle image velocimetry and high-speed cameras to analyze the spontaneous swimming of zebrafish in a tank, and the findings provide the groundwork in the design of flexible structures for a high-performance underwater bionic propeller.

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Russian and French researchers say an experimental approach for demonstrating the existence of an axionic behavior in specific materials may not have found it as previously reported. In Applied Physics Letters, the multinational team was unable to detect the expected increased magnetoconductivity in the charge density wave of a compound made up of tantalum, selenium, and iodine, called (TaSe4)2I. The findings come three years after published research seemed to provide sufficient evidence for an axionic behavior using a similar approach.

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The Heineman Foundation, AIP, and AAS announce Norman Murray, professor at the Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics, University of Toronto, as the winner of the 2022 Dannie Heineman Prize for Astrophysics. The Heineman committee selected Murray "for his deep theoretical insight into an exceptionally broad range of astrophysical phenomena, including the dynamics of planetary systems, accretion disk winds in active galactic nuclei, and star formation and feedback in galaxies."

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In Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology B, researchers developed a single-use sensor strip that can be used with a circuit board to detect cerebrospinal fluid leaks. They collected nine clinical samples and introduced the test fluid into a small liquid channel on the tip of the sensor strips. The liquid channel held electrodes, which contained antibodies specific to proteins found only in human cerebrospinal fluid. The circuit board analyzed the signal and produced a four-digit number that correlates to the concentration of the protein beta-2-transferrin, found in CSF.

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One recent obstacle to drug delivery research is an observed weak correlation between in vitro and in vivo performance. When nanoparticles are applied intravenously, they face several obstacles that differ from in vitro situations. Nanoparticles are usually covered by a biomolecular multilayer (a protein corona), which alters the physiochemical properties, pharmacokinetics, and toxicity profile of the nanoparticles. In Biophysics Reviews, researchers provide a cutting-edge characterization of the protein corona formed around nanoparticles and its impact on the physiochemical and biological properties of these nanoparticles.

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Researchers in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands decided to explore two very different quantum problems: breaking the encryption of Bitcoin and simulating the molecule responsible for biological nitrogen fixation. In AVS Quantum Science, they describe a tool they created to determine how big a quantum computer needs to be to solve problems like these and how long it will take. "We explored how to best take advantage of [the] ability to connect distant qubits, with the aim of solving problems in less time with fewer qubits," said Mark Webber, of the University of Sussex.

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In Physics of Fluids, researchers use dissipative particle dynamics simulations to examine the translational diffusion of Janus nanoparticles at the interface between two immiscible fluids. The simulations shed light on the dynamic behavior of the nanoparticles at a water-oil interface, and the work reveals a strong influence of their shape on their orientation at the interface as well as on their mobility. In theory, these findings imply the geometrical characteristics of Janus particles can be modified without their surface chemistries becoming altered to produce either stable or unstable emulsions.

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In Physics of Fluids, engineers from China use fluid dynamics simulations to study the effect of exercise at various ages on plaque formation in the arteries. The authors considered two arterial geometries, one with a bulging outer artery and the other without, and modeled the effect of exercise and age on blood flow. To model exercise, the authors digitized blood flow measurements from individuals in three age groups and used these flowrates as input to their computational model.

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In Physics of Fluids, researchers used the characteristics of owl wings to inform airfoil design and significantly reduce trailing-edge noise. The team used noise calculation and analysis software to conduct a series of detailed theoretical studies of simplified airfoils with characteristics reminiscent of owl wings. They applied their findings to suppress the noise of rotating machinery. Improving the flow conditions around the trailing edge and optimizing the shape of the edge suppressed the noise.

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In Review of Scientific Instruments, researchers have developed devices to automate blood smears. Their devices, called autohaem smear and smear+, can consistently create high-quality smears equivalent to those created by human experts, automating the smearing process so every smear is correct and consistent. A key goal of the project was to make the devices accessible to as many people as possible, so the researchers designed their devices to be easy to build, using readily available or 3D-printed components.

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In APL Bioengineering, editor Rylie A. Green highlights the disconnect between what bionic technologies can actually provide versus public and patient expectations and discusses how the health and ethical risks involved in embracing bionic devices may outweigh their benefits. When any device is implanted within the body, it poses significant risks beyond the surgery itself, and the hype around "the bionic man" should be tempered by these risks.

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In AIP Advances, researchers show models driving how respiratory droplets fell from a mannequin inside a water tunnel, which was inclined at different angles to mimic a person going up and down stairs. Using glass microspheres and lasers, they could visualize the flow motion behind the mannequins.

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In Applied Physics Reviews, researchers discuss the properties of silk and recent and future applications of the material. It has been used in drug delivery and is ideal for wearable and implantable health monitoring sensors. Silk is also useful in optics and electronics and more recently has come to the forefront of sustainability research. The use of silk coatings may also reduce food waste, which is a significant component of the global carbon footprint.

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Conventional wet-chemistry methods used to create biocidal materials are complex, time-consuming, and expensive. In the Journal of Applied Physics, researchers present a tutorial in which they explore a promising alternative called plasma-enabled surface engineering. The technology relies on nonequilibrium plasma that produces chemical reactions to change the properties at the material surface. Reactions can be manipulated by adjusting electric power for surface activation, coating deposition, and surface nanostructuring of virtually any solid material.

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James Joyce's "Ulysses" contains a surprising amount of 19th-century classical physics, according to Harry Manos, faculty member at Los Angeles City College. In The Physics Teacher, Manos reveals several connections that have not been analyzed before in the Joycean literature between classic physics prevalent during that time and various passages of the book. "'Ulysses' exemplifies what physics students and teachers should realize -- namely, physics and literature are not mutually exclusive," Manos said.

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In Applied Physics Reviews, researchers review scientific advances of electrolyte-gated carbon nanotube field-effect transistor biosensors, which are characterized by superior electronic properties and intrinsic signal amplification and are capable of detecting a wide range of biomolecules with high sensitivity. One of their main components is the biorecognition element, which selectively recognizes the analyte of interest. Biotransduction devices convert the interaction between the biorecognition element and analyte into a measurable signal.

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In AIP Advances, a researcher in China developed a computer simulation of asteroid collisions that initially sought to replicate model asteroid strikes performed in a laboratory. After verifying the accuracy of the simulation, he believes it could be used to predict the result of future asteroid impacts or to learn more about past impacts by studying their craters. The simulation was built using the space-time conservation element and solution element method to model shock waves and other acoustic problems.

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Traditional robots can have difficulty grasping and manipulating soft objects if their manipulators are not flexible in the way elephant trunks, octopus tentacles, or human fingers can be. In Applied Physics Reviews, investigators developed a type of multiple-segment soft manipulator inspired by these biological systems. The soft manipulators are based on pneu-nets, which are pneumatically actuated elastomeric structures. The group designed manipulators for a variety of 3D trajectories by varying the geometric, material, and loading parameters for their pneu-net structures.

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The pandemic has revealed the urgency of understanding how public transportation ventilation systems transmit viruses and how exhaled droplets evolve in ventilated spaces. In Physics of Fluids, researchers developed a model with an unprecedented level of detail and focused on conditions that are more characteristic of asymptomatic transmission. The multiphysics model involved air and droplet dynamics, heat transfer, evaporation, humidity, and effects of ventilation systems. The researchers modeled various scenarios in close detail and were able to reconstruct their ventilation paths.

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In Journal of Applied Physics, researchers describe advances in understanding the fundamental physics of phase change materials used for energy storage; better understanding the liquid state physics of thermal storage may help accelerate technology development for the energy sector. Material parameters must be mathematically described so behavior and theoretical limits can be predicted. The researchers describe a step toward this predictive power by discussing past literature and new developments in the field of liquid state physics.

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In Applied Physics Reviews, by AIP Publishing, researchers from China and the United States examine how biology triggers morphological changes in certain types of nanoparticles. These types of particles are called smart transformable nanoparticles, because they can alter their size and shape upon stimulation from their surrounding environment.

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In Review of Scientific Instruments, from AIP Publishing, researchers from Germany and China outline the development of a flexible and easy-to-use micropen setup, capable of directly writing on surfaces to a microprecise level. The micropen is held over an ink reservoir as ink is drawn into the pen nozzle. Once filled, the nozzle is positioned for writing onto a tabletop surface.

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Our understanding of how microscopic structure and changes in the shape of food affect food texture remains underdeveloped, so researchers from Denmark and Germany conducted a series of experiments relating food microstructure and rheology to texture. In Physics of Fluids, they used coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering microscopy to relate the molecular makeup of the fat in foods with the rheological and mechanical properties of the food. The foods in question: foie gras and pâté.

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In APL Bioengineering, researchers have developed an approach to print skin equivalents, which may play a future role in facilitating the healing of chronic wounds. They used suspended layer additive manufacturing, creating a gel-like material to support the skin equivalent that can then support a second phase of gel injection. During printing, the skin layers are deposited within the support gel. After printing, the team washed away the support material, leaving behind the layered skin equivalent.

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Air trapped with ice below glacier surfaces becomes a compressed bubble-ice mixture that builds pressure during the long passage to the glacier terminus. The glacier ice holds ancient bubbles of air that can be up to 20 atmospheres of pressure and generate detectable sounds when they are released as the ice melts. Scientists can listen to the release of the air and potentially use the sounds to help them gauge the impact of climate change on the ice floes.

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Killer whales will often travel to different areas to target varieties of prey. In a study including eight years of passive acoustic data, researchers monitored killer whale movements using acoustic tools, finding killer whales are spending more time than previously recorded in the Arctic Ocean, despite risks of ice entrapment there. Their readings indicate this change is directly following the decrease in sea ice in the area.