Nanoscale generation of white light for ultrabroadband nanospectroscopy
Scientists from ITMO University have used a silicon-gold nanoparticle agitated by a pulse laser in IR band as an effective source of white light. One such "nanobulb" was integrated into a standard probe microscope, which allowed the researchers to overcome the diffraction limit and examine subwavelength-size objects. The new technology makes modern near-field microscopy cheaper and simpler, and is potentially useful in medicine. The study has been published in Nano Letters.
Source: https://phys.org/news/2018-01-nanoscale-white-ultrabroadband-nanospectroscopy.html
Researchers describe unique cephalo-thoracic scissors in extinct insect species
Insects are the most diverse group of animals on earth, with more than 1 million species, and account for more than 50 percent of all living species, including bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Insects are divided into more than 30 insect orders, such as Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, Hymenoptera, etc.
Source: https://phys.org/news/2018-01-unique-cephalo-thoracic-scissors-extinct-insect.html
MMV malaria box phenotyped against plasmodium and toxoplasma
A Singapore-India collaborative research project has completed phenotypic screening of MMV Malaria Box, a large collection of potent chemical inhibitors against pathogenic parasites Toxoplasma gondii and Plasmodium falciparum, the causative agents of human toxoplasmosis and malaria. This research opens up new avenues to study unique stages of the infectious cycle that are affected by inhibitor classes toward anti-parasitic drug development.
Source: https://phys.org/news/2018-01-mmv-malaria-phenotyped-plasmodium-toxoplasma.html
'Day Zero': Water shut-off looms in South Africa's Cape Town
Long lines of South Africans collect water daily from a natural spring pipeline in an upscale suburb of Cape Town, illustrating the harsh impact of a drought that authorities say could force the closure of most taps in the country's second largest city in just over two months, an occasion ominously known as "Day Zero."
Source: https://phys.org/news/2018-01-day-shut-off-looms-south-africa.html
Research finds link between rainfall and ocean circulation in past and present
Research conducted at The University of Texas at Austin has found that changes in ocean currents in the Atlantic Ocean influence rainfall in the Western Hemisphere, and that these two systems have been linked for thousands of years.
Source: https://phys.org/news/2018-01-link-rainfall-ocean-circulation.html
Report: Dutch spies caught Russian hackers on video
A Dutch newspaper and television show are jointly reporting that the Netherlands' spy service broke into the computers used by a Russian hacking group often nicknamed Cozy Bear and may be sitting on evidence relating to the hack of the U.S. Democratic National Committee.
Source: https://phys.org/news/2018-01-dutch-spies-caught-russian-hackers.html
Source: https://phys.org/