USGS assesses carbon potential of Alaska lands
Boulder CO (SPX) Jun 06, 2016 -
In comparison to the lower 48 states, Alaskan forests, wetlands and permafrost contain larger stores of carbon, according to the first-of-its-kind assessment recently completed by the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. Forest Service and the University of Alaska at Fairbanks.
"This benchmark assessment establishes significant baseline information to better understand carbon dynamics in Alask ...
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Single-step hydrogen peroxide production could be cleaner, more efficient
Madison WI (SPX) May 30, 2016 -
Bottles of dilute hydrogen peroxide sit on shelves in medicine cabinets across the world, yet synthesizing the chemical at the large scale requires a surprisingly complicated process that is economically unfeasible for all but a few industrial facilities.
Chemists and engineers have long been working on simpler approaches. A significant challenge can be stabilizing hydrogen peroxide once i ...
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Thermal modification of wood and a complex study of its properties by magnetic resonance
Kazan, Russia (SPX) May 30, 2016 -
Heat treatment has proved to be an effective method of improving some of the useful properties of wood. Recent developments of the technology have allowed to achieve, among other things, increased hydrophobic properties, better elasticity, and improved dimensional stability.
The corresponding chemical modifications depend on the heating regimes and the heating atmosphere and involve degrad ...
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Carnegie Mellon transparency reports make AI decision-making accountable
Pittsburgh PA (SPX) May 30, 2016 -
Machine-learning algorithms increasingly make decisions about credit, medical diagnoses, personalized recommendations, advertising and job opportunities, among other things, but exactly how usually remains a mystery. Now, new measurement methods developed by Carnegie Mellon University researchers could provide important insights to this process.
Was it a person's age, gender or education l ...
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Investment in energy storage vital if renewables to achieve full potential
Norwich, UK (SPX) May 30, 2016 -
Government subsidies should be used to encourage investment in energy storage systems if renewable power is to be fully integrated into the sector, according to researchers at the University of East Anglia (UEA).
Variable output renewable energy systems, such as wind turbines and solar panels, are growing across Europe and contribute to supply and price volatility in electricity markets. ...
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Beating the limits of the light microscope, one photon at a time
Fort Collins CO (SPX) May 30, 2016 -
The world's most advanced light microscopes allow us to see single molecules, proteins, viruses and other very small biological structures. But even the best microscopes have their limits. Colorado State University scientists are pushing the limits of a technique called super-resolution microscopy, opening potential new pathways to illuminating, for example, individual cell processes in living t ...
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New concept turns battery technology upside-down
Boston MA (SPX) May 30, 2016 -
A new approach to the design of a liquid battery, using a passive, gravity-fed arrangement similar to an old-fashioned hourglass, could offer great advantages due to the system's low cost and the simplicity of its design and operation, says a team of MIT researchers who have made a demonstration version of the new battery.
Liquid flow batteries - in which the positive and negative electrod ...
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