Falling off a horse at high-speed changes the impact to the rider’s head and the parameters for a quality helmet, according to new research from the Virginia Tech Helmet Lab.  Published on April 28 in the Annals of Biomedical Engineering, the findings from researchers Steve Rowson and Lauren Duma indicate that head impacts during falls at high speed generate unique head rotation, which in turn, directly affects helmet behavior. 

Researchers at UCLA have developed a new catalyst design capable of pushing the projected fuel cell catalyst lifespans to 200,000 hours. Published in Nature Nanotechnology, the research marks a significant step toward the widespread adoption of fuel cell technology in heavy-duty vehicles, such as long-haul tractor trailers. While platinum-alloy catalysts have historically delivered superior chemical reactions, the alloying elements leach out over time, diminishing catalytic performance. The degradation is further accelerated by the demanding voltage cycles required to power heavy-duty vehicles. To address this challenge, the UCLA team has engineered a durable catalyst architecture with a novel design that shields platinum from the degradation typically observed in alloy systems.

A research team from the Institute of Modern Physics (IMP), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), has developed a machine learning (ML) model enhanced with expert knowledge to classify eight types of faults in superconducting radio-frequency (SRF) cavities at the China Accelerator Facility for superheavy Elements (CAFE2) facility. This model helps operators quickly identify fault patterns after incidents, speeding recovery and supporting long-term stable SRF accelerator operation.