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Nonpharmaceutical interventions, such as isolation, quarantines, and lockdowns, have been implemented in an effort to contain the pandemic, but these are often disruptive and costly. In Chaos, researchers identify new and sustainable interventions to contain outbreaks while minimizing the economic and social costs. They built a data-driven mobility model to simulate COVID-19 spreading in Hong Kong, by combining synthetic population, human behavior patterns, and a viral transmission model, and found that by controlling a small percentage of grids, the virus could be largely contained.

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In Physics of Fluids, researchers examine the dynamics of social distancing practices, common defense against the spread of COVID-19, through the lens of particle-based flow simulations. The study models social distance as the distance at which particles, representing pedestrians, repel fellow particles and sheds light on the relationship between social distancing and pedestrian flow dynamics in corridors by illustrating how adherence to social distancing protocols affects two-way pedestrian movement in a shared space.

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While most of the COVID-19 vaccines are designed as a two-dose regimen, some countries have prioritized vaccinating as many people as possible with a single dose before giving out an additional dose. In the journal Chaos, researchers illustrate the conditions under which a "prime first" vaccine campaign is most effective at stopping the spread of the COVID-19 virus. The team found the vaccine waning rate to be a critically important factor in the decision.

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It has long been theorized that hydrogen, helium, and lithium were the only chemical elements in existence during the Big Bang, and that supernova explosions are responsible for transmuting these elements into heavier ones. Researchers are now challenging this and in AIP Advances propose an alternative model for the formation of nitrogen, oxygen, and water based on the history of Earth's atmosphere. They postulate that the 25 elements with atomic numbers smaller than iron were created via an endothermic nuclear transmutation of two nuclei, carbon and oxygen.

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In underwater acoustics, deep learning may improve sonar systems to help detect ships and submarines in distress or in restricted waters. However, noise interference can be a challenge. In the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, researchers explore an attention-based deep neural network to tackle this problem. They tested two ships, comparing their results with a typical deep neural network, and found the ABNN increases its predictions considerably as it gravitates toward the features closely correlated with the training goals.

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As the delta variant continues to spread, guidelines from the CDC recommend even the vaccinated wear masks indoors to prevent exposure and transmission, though it is less clear what people should do when outside. In Physics of Fluids, researchers use a large eddy simulation to model cough jets in breezy and calm conditions. They found when a person coughs outdoors, wind flowing in the same direction can propagate the virus faster over longer distances than in calm conditions.

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In recent years, much progress has been made in the wind energy industry as the cost of development has declined significantly with emerging technologies and incentive policies. Nevertheless, wind farms can be made more efficient. In Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy, researchers examine diurnal and seasonal patterns of wind speeds and their impact on the adequacy of energy production. The results helped them develop a seasonal adequacy assessment procedure.

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The Journal of Chemical Physics is showcasing research from leading women in physical chemistry and chemical physics through a collection of papers that highlight great scientific accomplishments in the fields and honor the women who inspired the scientists. The "Special Collection in Honor of Women in Chemical Physics and Physical Chemistry" received more than 250 submissions; most include a dedication to specific women in the field, past or present.

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The move to electric vehicles calls for more reliable and cost-effective lithium batteries. Next-generation cathodes look to provide such advances soon. In APL Materials, researchers provide a road map for the field to improve on technology and techniques geared toward identifying new cathodes for electric vehicles. They outline the strides in recent years, including protective coatings and additives that extend battery lifetime and improve ion transport, approaches to building cathodes optimized for high-density storage, and delivery of electrode designs resistant to fracture.

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The 2021 Nobel Prize in physics was awarded jointly to Syukuro Manabe and Klaus Hasselmann and Giorgio Parisi. Manabe and Hasselmann were honored for trying to explain the complexities of the Earth's climate, while Parisi was honored for his work examining the changing landscape of material states. To help journalists and the public understand the context of this work, AIP is compiling a Nobel Prize resources page featuring relevant scientific papers and articles, quotes from experts, photos, multimedia, and other resources.

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Trying to find the right image for a scientific story can be daunting. The Niels Bohr Library & Archives is making it easier to locate that visual impact for a news piece. More than 28,000 digital images from the Emilio Segrè Visual Archives are available for free to anyone who is searching for historic images of labs and researchers, headshots, and candid photos of physical scientists with their co-workers, families, and friends. The new, searchable location of the photos also houses manuscripts, publications, audiovisual materials, and more.

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The Nobel Prize committee is scheduled to physics award the honor Tuesday, Oct. 5, and AIP is ready to help reporters and outlets be prepared for the auspicious occasion. A list of scientific resources and contacts will be filled with relevant information pertaining to the winners and their scientific achievements and AIP will provide interview opportunities, multimedia choices, and in-depth coverage.

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To pursue a better mechanistic understanding of ventricular arrhythmias, Johns Hopkins University researchers are turning to whole-heart computational models, which are currently witnessing an evolution of a variety of computational approaches, especially within the realm of personalized technologies. In Biophysics Reviews, they describe the progress using various computational approaches to address the mechanisms of cardiac dysfunction and issues related to the clinical application of computation-driven diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for cardiac disease and arrhythmias.

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In APL Materials, researchers have developed a bioelectrical sensor that is convenient and low-cost. The sensor measures electromyography signals that are generated in muscles when they contract and are useful for studying muscle fatigue and recovery, and they have the potential to inform diagnosis and treatment of neuromuscular diseases. The biosensor, made of silver paste with a layer of gold nanoparticles on top, is directly integrated onto a piece of clothing. The result was a detector that was both conductive and nonirritating to the skin.

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Amy Sue Bix, a leading expert on the history of science and women and gender studies, will speak in an upcoming Lyne Starling Trimble lecture Wednesday, Sept. 29, in a live webcast. Her talk will delve into how the dramatic shift of girls and young women toward STEM occurred, how diversity will play a role in the nature and purpose of science and engineering, the changes in gender relations in the scientific community, and escalating concern for girls' psychological well-being and personal opportunities.

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Carbon fiber reinforced polymer composite structures are important in several industries, yet the electrical behavior of a composite is challenging to measure or predict because of the electrical conductivity of constituent carbon fibers and the composite's complex hierarchical microstructure. In Journal of Applied Physics, researchers report the first direct measurement of the transverse electrical resistivity of a single carbon fiber. The researchers combined a precise sample preparation with a technique called the van der Pauw method to accomplish this challenging measurement.

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Our subjective experience appears to us in a continuous stream of integrated information, and in Chaos, researchers explore the question: Which characteristics should brain activity have to support this type of conscious experiences?

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Researchers seek to point a way toward a unified theory for how DNA changes shape when expressing genes. Presenting their work in Biophysics Reviews, the scientists use an approach called statistical mechanics to explore the phenomenon of so-called expression waves of gene regulation.

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Phononic crystals are an innovative resonant platform for sensing and understanding the volumetric properties of liquids, attracting a growing interest from researchers. In The Journal of Applied Physics, by AIP Publishing, researchers from France and Germany propose the design of a tubular phononic crystal (TPC) for the purpose of sensing the biochemical and physical properties of a liquid filling the hollow part of the tube.

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In The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, published by the Acoustical Society of America through AIP Publishing, researchers from Stellantis and Laboratoire d’Acoustique de l'Universite du Mans outline an algorithm that adapts personalized sound zones within a car to changes in seat position, allowing riders to listen to their own audio without headphones and interruption.

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In Physics of Fluids, by AIP Publishing, researchers from the Indian Institute of Science studied the fate of a large-sized surrogate cough droplets at different velocities, corresponding from mild to severe, while using various locally procured fabrics as masks.

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In Physics of Fluids, by AIP Publishing, scientists from the Indian Institute of Science and the Narayana Nethralaya Foundation explain how tears ejected from the eye during a procedure that tests for glaucoma can theoretically transmit disease.

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Without the prospect of herd immunity on the immediate horizon, speedy detection for COVID-19 remains imperative for helping to curb the pandemic. Point-of-care testing that can provide immediate results is an urgent need. Researchers investigated the opportunities and challenges in developing rapid COVID-19 sensing techniques and discuss the prospects of optical biosensors for point-of-care COVID-19 testing in the journal Applied Physics Reviews.

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Innovations to improve mask efficacy, with increasing focus on nanofiber manufacturing, have resulted in higher filtration efficiency, greater comfort, and easier breathing capacity. However, the effects of microwater droplets on the integrity of nanofibers are relatively unclear. In Physics of Fluids, researchers examine these ambiguities through a visualization of nanofibers interacting with water aerosol exposure. They used high-speed microscopic videos to systematically visualize the evolution of nanofibers with different contact angles, diameters, and mesh sizes under water aerosol exposure.

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In Physics of Fluids, researchers describe how they applied rheology to the seemingly quaint purpose of improving the quality of a cup of black tea. They describe the interfacial phenomenon in a cup left to cool after steeping, when a thin film at the air-water interface can form, and assess the mechanical properties of the film, the formation of which is affected by water hardness, acidity, sugar or milk, tea concentration, and brewing temperature.

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What makes a voice attractive? The question is the subject of broad interest, with far-reaching implications in our personal lives, the workplace, and society. In The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, scientists describe research that explores the interactions between gender and articulatory precision to gauge vocal attractiveness. They were surprised to find a sizable gender difference in speech intelligibility.