Science

Scientists at the University of Cambridge and the Institute for Polymer Research of the Max Planck Society in Germany have discovered that water molecules on the surface of a salt solution are organised differently than previously thought. The results of the study are published in the journal Nature Chemistry.

The experts studied how ions in solutions, called electrolytes, affect the distribution of water molecules at the boundary in contact with air. To do this, they applied a modified method of total vibration frequency generation (VSFG). Both cations (positively charged ions) and anions (negatively charged ions) located in the near-surface layer were found to contribute to the separation of the interface into two distinct layers.

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An international group of astronomers has discovered a new Be/X-ray binary system. This is reported in a paper published on the arXiv preprint server.

X-ray double systems consist of a normal star or white dwarf transferring mass to a compact neutron star or black hole. Depending on the mass of the companion star, astronomers divide them into low-mass X-ray double systems (LMXB) and high-mass X-ray double systems (HMXB). Be/X-ray systems are the largest subgroup of HMXBs, consisting of Be-stars and neutron stars, including pulsars.

4XMM J182531.5-144036 was originally detected in April 2008 by the XMM-Newton satellite as a source of hard X-ray emission. In the new paper, the researchers analysed additional data and showed that the position of the source corresponds to that of an object emitting excess radiation in the near-infrared. This object also exhibits a strong hydrogen emission line.

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Scientists have spotted a newborn great white shark cub live in the wild for the first time, near the California coast, as reported in a paper published in the journal Environmental Biology of Fishes.

The discovery was made during a shark search on 9 July 2023 near Santa Barbara. The newborn cub was pure white in colour, but analysis of the images showed that the white colour had an outer film that was gradually shed during swimming. This is thought to be a layer of uterine nutrients that persisted after birth, but scientists concede that the film could have been the result of a skin disease.

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Scientists at Tufts University in the USA have used hypoallergenic wheat protein to cultivate high-quality synthetic meat. According to the study, published in the journal ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering, glutenin enables cross-striped muscle layers and flat fat layers to form from muscle and fat cells to form a realistic meat texture.

Previous researchers have shown that plant-derived glutenin film is a suitable substrate for culturing cow skeletal muscle cells. However, muscle cells must form aligned fibres similar to the texture of real tissues. In addition, fat must be included in the three-dimensional culture to reproduce the composition of traditional meat products.

The researchers decided to use hypoallergenic glutenin to create films that would serve as a framework for the three-dimensional culture. Protein was isolated from wheat gluten, then muscle cells were placed on the ribbed protein substrates, after which the culture was incubated for a fortnight. In addition, the scientists applied a layer of fat cells to flat films of glutenin.

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Astronomers have discovered a new planet in the system HD 63433, which is in a state of tidal capture and has a lava hemisphere. The discovery is reported in a paper published in The Astronomical Journal.

Tidal capture occurs when a planet faces its star with the same hemisphere, resulting in the day side having a high temperature and the night side having a low temperature. Because exoplanet HD 63433 d is very close to its parent star, and has an orbital period of 4.2 days, the temperature on its day side reaches extreme values of 1257 degrees Celsius.

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