Latest news with #U.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Researchers may be underestimating the intensity of Utah's future big earthquakes, study finds
The 1896 Sears mansion in Salt Lake City's Liberty Wells neighborhood sustained major damage in the Magna Earthquake and was later demolished. (Brian Maffly/University of Utah) As Utah prepares for an overdue, big earthquake, University of Utah seismologists found that current seismic hazard models may be underestimating the intensity of shaking the Salt Lake Valley could experience in future earthquakes. That's because sediments in some areas under the valley are thicker than expected, researchers said in a news release — and thicker sediments can lead to stronger shaking during an earthquake. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX 'In a basin, seismic shaking is amplified. It's very important to understand the thickness and rigidity of sediment to better assess potential shaking. The sediment is thicker than previously thought — especially in the heavily populated area south of Salt Lake City,' study leader Fan-Chi Lin, an associate professor of geology and geophysics at the U. said in the release. The state is still rebuilding infrastructure shaken up by the 5.7 magnitude Magna earthquake that happened in 2020. However, often referred to as 'the big one,' a future earthquake of 6.75 or greater magnitude is highly probable at the Wasatch Front in the next 50 years, according to Envision Utah. With about 80% of the state's population living in the area, experts estimate that could be an exceptionally devastating event. 'Our findings reinforce the idea that a hazard exists in the valley and that shaking could be stronger than expected. Many houses in Salt Lake are unreinforced masonry and could be vulnerable in a big quake,' Lin said. 'Buildings should be reinforced, and people should be prepared.' After installing an extensive network of seismic data sensors along the valley after the spring of 2020 and analyzing seismic waves from distant earthquakes, Lin's team created a revised and refined three-dimensional seismic velocity model to map the Wasatch Front's geologic structure and identify earthquake hazard sites. That model allowed the researchers to find thicker sediment deposits than previously estimated, and can provide answers when preparing for 'the big one.' 'If we know the subsurface structure very well, then we can predict how strong the ground motion will be when the big earthquake happens,' Lin said. 'And that will allow us to collaborate with the engineers to determine which buildings are potentially hazardous when the big earthquake hits.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
The Hindu
10-06-2025
- Science
- The Hindu
How extracting and producing nickel can be made more sustainable
Manzoor, U., Mujica Roncery, L., Raabe, D. et al, 'Sustainable nickel enabled by hydrogen-based reduction', Nature 641, 365–373 (2025). Nickel powers everything, from gadgets to green technologies. But getting it currently involves a far from green, in fact, a dirty process. However, a new study has revealed what its authors have said is a game-changing and sustainable method to extract nickel from low-grade ores using hydrogen plasma instead of carbon. It's a one-step process free of carbon dioxide that reportedly saves both energy and time. Nickel is an important metal used in several clean energy technologies, especially Electric Vehicles (EVs), and the demand for it is expected to surpass six million tonnes a year by 2040. While EVs are seen as a cleaner alternative to traditional fossil fuel-powered vehicles, there are hidden environmental costs associated with their production, especially in the manufacturing of lithium-ion batteries. A major component in these batteries is nickel and its extraction is highly carbon-intensive. Producing just one tonne of nickel can result in more than 20 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions. So while EVs reduce emissions during operation, the process of sourcing materials like nickel simply shifts the pollution burden from the transportation sector to the mining and processing sector, among others. The methodology The study, published in Nature on April 30, was conducted by researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Sustainable Materials in Düsseldorf, Germany. In the study, the researchers bypassed the traditional multistep process to extract nickel — which includes calcination, smelting, reduction, and refining — and developed a single metallurgical step conducted in one furnace. 'The proposed method has the potential to be up to about 18% more energy efficient while cutting direct carbon dioxide emissions by up to 84% compared with the current practice,' the paper wrote. Ubaid Manzoor, a researcher at the Max Planck Institute and lead author of the study, said, 'Traditional nickel extraction is multi-step, energy-intensive and relies on carbon. Nickel oxide is heated with carbon, which removes the oxygen, producing pure nickel, along with carbon dioxide emissions.' The researchers have proposed replacing carbon with hydrogen as the reducing agent and using electricity as the energy source, specifically through an electric arc furnace. 'In our method, we use hydrogen plasma. Hydrogen gas, when subjected to high-energy electrons in an electric arc, splits into high-energy ions, entering a plasma state — the extremely hot and reactive fourth state of matter. It is distinct from solids, liquids, and gases. This hydrogen plasma rapidly reduces the metal oxides. From a thermodynamic perspective, the process is not only cleaner but significantly faster,' Mr. Manzoor said. He added that the method is kinetically superior — meaning the chemical reaction is more energetically favoured — thanks to the highly reactive and unstable nature of plasma. 'The end product of hydrogen reacting with oxygen is water, not carbon dioxide. Therefore, the entire process is carbon-free, using only electricity, hydrogen, and yielding water as a byproduct,' he added. Enabling sustainable production The study focused on laterite ores, a type of soil-rich rocks that contain metals like nickel. They form in hot, tropical regions when rain and heat break down rocks over time, leaving behind metal-rich layers. They are abundant but tough to process. 'While sulphide ores are found deeper underground and are easier to process, they're rapidly depleting. The new method used in the study works efficiently on laterites, making it key to future nickel production,' Mr. Manzoor said. India has substantial nickel laterite reserves, particularly in Odisha's Sukinda region. 'These deposits, containing 0.4-0.9% nickel as nickeliferous limonite in chromite mine overburden, are often overlooked because traditional methods require higher-grade ores. But [the team's method] excels at extracting value from these lower-grade resources,' Dierk Raabe, professor and director of the Max Planck Institute and co-author of the study, said. He added that the technology could play a major role as the demand for sustainably produced materials continues to grow. 'Without such innovations, the sustainability revolution — whether in electrification, renewables, or green infrastructure — risks merely shifting the carbon dioxide and energy burdens from one sector to another. In other words, we might build a 'greener' world through EVs, solar panels, and high-performance magnets while still relying on carbon-intensive methods to mine and refine the critical metals … that make all of it possible,' he said. The inescapable demand for nickel in multiple industries and its traditionally carbon-intensive production pose 'a particular challenge for countries like India, where rapid industrial growth is essential for economic development. India must simultaneously meet ambitious climate goals and leverage market opportunities in the green economy,' Mr. Raabe added. He continued that the technology aligns well with India's dual goals — to accelerate industrialisation and infrastructure development while staying committed to the goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2070. It also reduces the need to import high-grade ores and maximises the potential of domestic, underutilised mineral assets, he added. Some challenges Pratik Kumar, assistant professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at IIT-Jammu and who wasn't associated with the new study, said this research could be a very appropriate method for nickel extraction from an ore, especially when the world is thinking critically in the direction of carbon neutrality. The method produces high-purity ferronickel — an alloy with which stainless steel can be made — eliminating the need for extensive refining steps and making the overall process more sustainable on paper. 'However, the scalability of the mentioned study to an industrial production would involve certain challenges, including a high initial investment in infrastructure and renewable energy and limitations in ore applicability. Also, further in-depth study on thermodynamic kinetics may be required along with a demand for continuous free oxygen species supply at the arc-melt interface,' Mr. Kumar cautioned. 'Despite these hurdles, the study offers a promising, sustainable alternative to conventional nickel extraction methods.' Hirra Azmat is a Kashmir-based journalist who writes on science, health, and environment.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
🤦♂️ Tough blow: La U lose in Brazil and miss out on the Libertadores
🤦♂️ Tough blow: La U lose in Brazil and miss out on the Libertadores This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here. The university team traveled to Rio de Janeiro where they needed at least a draw to advance to the round of 16. Advertisement Now, the story began in the worst way. At 38', Igor Jesús scored Botafogo's goal, and although U. fought, they never found a way to hurt John's goal. With this defeat and Estudiantes de La Plata's victory over Carabobo, Gustavo Álvarez's team will have to settle for a ticket to the Sudamericana. 📸 DANIEL RAMALHO - AFP or licensors
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
🤦♂️Tough blow: La U lose in Brazil and miss out on the Libertadores
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here. The university team traveled to Rio de Janeiro where they needed at least a draw to advance to the round of the story began in the worst way. At 38', Igor Jesús scored Botafogo's goal, and although U. fought, they never found a way to hurt John's goal. With this defeat and Estudiantes de La Plata's victory over Carabobo, Gustavo Álvarez's team will have to settle for a ticket to the Sudamericana. 📸 DANIEL RAMALHO - AFP or licensors
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Dental services now available to adult Utahns enrolled in Medicaid
An estimated 120,000 adult Utahns enrolled in Medicaid will now have access to dental services that may include check ups, X-rays, cleanings every six months, fillings, root canals, extractions, dentures, emergency exams for severe pain, and crowns, according to state health officials. (Photo by) Utahns who are enrolled in Medicaid and are at least 21 years old are now eligible for dental care, Utah health officials announced on Tuesday. Up until now, only certain groups of Utahns enrolled in Medicaid have been eligible for dental coverage, including children, pregnant women, adults undergoing treatment for substance use disorder, people who are blind and disabled, and adults that are 65 or older. However, Utah's coverage expanded through the 1115 Demonstration Waiver approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) earlier this year, the Utah Department of Health and Human Services announced in a news release. Utah becomes the first state to ban adding fluoride to drinking water The new coverage was announced as Utah became the first state in the nation to ban adding fluoride to public drinking water. The bill, HB81, takes effect May 7. An estimated 120,000 adult Utahns enrolled in Medicaid will now have access to dental services that may include check ups, X-rays, cleanings every six months, fillings, root canals, extractions, dentures, emergency exams for severe pain, and crowns, according to state health officials. The new coverage will be made possible through a partnership between Utah Medicaid and the University of Utah School of Dentistry (UUSOD), which will administer and provide the care. 'After leveraging its own resources, UUSOD has stepped in to bridge a gap with the collective goal of providing high quality dental care for adults on Medicaid, ' Jen Strohecker, director of Utah Medicaid, said in a prepared statement. 'We are grateful for this strong and strategic partnership rooted in our commitment to care for all members of our community.' The U.'s School of Dentistry has a network of more than 300 dentists in offices across the state. It also has dental providers that work at school clinics, rural clinics, and a mobile clinic van that travels to underserved areas. Utah health officials also noted that the U.'s dentist school's provider network was 'established after identifying populations who experience barriers in accessing dental care and services as a resource for the dental profession in Utah — while not competing for patients in the private sector.' Dentists enrolled in the U.'s network are offered a reimbursement incentive in addition to Medicaid reimbursement rates, as well as free continuing education courses, according to state health officials. They encouraged dentists who are interested in joining the network to learn more about the program on the U.'s website and apply. 'The process is streamlined, the compensations are better,' said James Bekker, associate dean of professional, community and strategic relations at UUSOD. 'Utah Medicaid is not your mother's Medicaid. This is different.' Utahns enrolled in medicaid can also choose a dentist by browsing the Medicaid website or call 1-866-608-9422. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
